Dr Rosie: Overseas NHS Workers Day

Overseas NHS Workers Day is this Friday

A chance to say a heartfelt thank you to the international staff who keep our health services running every single day

Celebrating a global NHS family

The NHS is one of the most diverse workforces in the country, with staff from over 200 nationalities caring for patients and supporting services. Around 1 in 5 NHS workers are of non-British nationality, which is roughly 265,000 people – from clinical teams to porters, cleaners, administrators, and everyone in between. Quite simply, the NHS could not function without this global team, who bring skills, experience and compassion from all over the world.

More than doctors and nurses

When we think about overseas NHS staff, we often picture doctors and nurses – but the reality is much broader. International colleagues work in every part of the system: healthcare assistants, domestics, porters, pharmacists, lab staff, reception teams, IT, estates and maintenance, and many more roles that keep hospitals and clinics safe, clean and welcoming. Together, they form the support network that allows frontline clinical care to happen.

A day to say thank you

Overseas NHS Workers Day was created to recognise and celebrate the huge contribution of staff who have left their home countries to care for patients here in the UK. Many have navigated visas, registration, language exams and being away from family and friends, all while working in a busy, high-pressure health system. On Friday, NHS organisations are being encouraged to share messages of appreciation, wear blue and green – the colours of the globe – and highlight the stories of overseas colleagues using hashtags such as #OverseasNHSWorkersDay.

In this week’s podcast

In this week’s health update, Dr Rosie talks about why diversity is so important for a healthy NHS, and reflects on the everyday contributions of international staff – not just in hospitals, but in community services, GP practices and mental health teams. She also explores some of the challenges overseas colleagues can face when they arrive in the UK, and why feeling valued and included makes such a difference to staff wellbeing and patient care.

This Friday, let’s make Overseas NHS Workers Day a true day of appreciation – and a reminder that our health service is, and always has been, powered by a worldwide family of staff.