The government has outlined proposals which would see employers take on the health burden for any migrant workers. If approved, the plans would require employers to provide any migrant workers with private health insurance to avoid the country's National Health Service taking on the burden for these workers.

 

The increase in the number of migrant workers has been well documented in the UK, and there are those who argue that this has placed an additional burden on the resources of the NHS. The Home Secretary has acknowledged that this increase has not only impacted on jobs, but also places demands on a number of services such as schools and hospitals.

 

With a worker cap scheduled to the introduced in April 2011, the governments Migration Advisory Committee (MAC) will now consult on what the level should be, with businesses expected to have a significant input into these discussions.

 

By ensuring that employers provide private medical insurance, it is hoped that employers will be able to employ valuable foreigners without adding to the burden of the NHS, while still ensuring that these workers have access to health care .