Support our call for visa rule change
Despite continued engagement by the IBMS with NHS England, NHS Employers, the Department of Health and Social Care and UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI), concerns remain about the impact of immigration policy on the biomedical science workforce.
Changes to Skilled Worker visa salary thresholds, combined with the classification of biomedical scientists under the Standard Occupational Classification (SOC) code 2113 ("Biochemists and biomedical scientists"), are creating significant challenges for some NHS laboratory staff and employers.
Biomedical scientists working in NHS laboratories are employed under Agenda for Change pay scales. However, for immigration purposes, they are currently classified alongside science, research, engineering and technology professionals, where salary thresholds can exceed the pay scales associated with newly qualified Band 5 biomedical scientist roles. This creates uncertainty around recruitment and retention at a time when pathology services are already experiencing workforce shortages.
Biomedical scientists are essential to patient care, providing diagnostic services that support around 70% of clinical decisions across the NHS. Any barriers to recruiting and retaining qualified professionals risk placing further pressure on pathology services and the wider healthcare system.
As part of our ongoing campaign, we have produced a template letter that you can adapt and send to your MP. By sharing your experiences and highlighting the impact of current immigration policy on NHS pathology services, you can help ensure that policymakers understand the importance of finding a solution.
We are calling on the Government to recognise biomedical scientists as healthcare professionals for immigration purposes and to align their visa salary requirements with NHS Agenda for Change pay structures.
How to take part
- Copy and paste our template letter below.
- Find your MP using the UK Parliament website.
- Personalise it with your details, own experiences and circumstances where appropriate.
- Send it to your MP and ask them to raise the issue with the relevant ministers.
Together, we can help raise awareness of the challenges facing the biomedical science workforce and support efforts to secure a long-term solution.
Template letter to your MP
