Up to 1,000 GPs could be deported as the Home Office threatens to evict them from the UK

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New recruits received letters warning of their “removal” just weeks after completing the training. Health Education England fear 1,000 temporary visas will expire by March 2023

Up to 1,000 overseas GPs could be lost to the NHS as the Home Office threatens to evict them from the UK.

New recruits received letters warning of their “removal” just weeks after completing the training.

Due to the complex immigration regulations, professionals can only apply for a permanent visa after five years.

But GPs typically complete training in three years – leaving a two-year gap in which to secure sponsorship if they wish to stay in the UK.

Health Education England fear 1,000 temporary visas will expire by March 2023.

dr Pushpo Hossain, 32, said: “These are taxpaying qualified GPs who have been trained with taxpayer money and are so important to the NHS.

“GPs are blamed for overwhelmed the emergency room.

The UK needs these expatriate GPs – and more – to tackle the current crisis.”

The Royal College of General Practitioners said some foreign trainees are “literally going from celebrating becoming a GP to receiving deportation letters”.

The UK Medical Association was “extremely appalled”.

Co-Chair Dr. Ellen Welch said: “We desperately need these doctors. If the government is serious about strengthening the workforce, they need to make sure they get permanent residency so they can use their skills in our crumbling health service.”

The NHS in England has lost the equivalent of 2,000 GPs since 2015.

This month the Doctors in Unite union claimed that there was a total shortage of 20,000 GPs in the UK.

The government aims to limit the deficit to 6,000 by 2024 but admits it will fall short of the target.

The Ministry of the Interior accused the representatives of the general practitioners of “unnecessary scaremongering” last night.

It says trainees can stay if they are sponsored by a primary care practice under a licensed program designed to secure a permanent visa.

But not all operations are licensed.

A spokesman said: “Overseas workers make an invaluable contribution to our NHS, helping to keep essential services running and saving lives.

“Trainee general practitioners can use the time between the end of their training and the end of their visa to look for work and apply.”