Striking migrant doctors received Whatsapp warning them they’d be reported to Border Force
An NHS Trust has been forced to apologise after an employee “mistakenly” sent a WhatsApp message warning doctors in receipt of visas that they would be reported to UK Border Force if they went on strike.
Some junior doctors at Lewisham and Greenwich NHS Trust were left distressed by the message, which also informed them that participating in walkouts could lead to problems with visa renewals.
The sender, who has not been identified in the screengrab of the correspondence circulating online but is understood to be a consultant, claimed the practice of passing on information about striking doctors to immigration authorities was the trust’s policy.
Lewisham and Greenwich NHS Trust has denied this is the case.
The WhatsApp message, which was sent out on a Sunday by the employee at the trust, reads: “Any doctor who has a visa sponsored by the Trust and decides to go on strike, the trust will report their absence to the Border Force and this could potentially make it problematic when renewing their visa.
“Please note that this is not a consultant decision but a trust decision and is in keeping with most (if not all) other trusts in London.”
The sender signed off the message with: “I hope that’s clear”, encouraging recipients to ask questions if they needed further clarity.
Some health workers described the message as “disgraceful”, “a thinly veiled threat” and “intimidation”.
Dr Latifa Patel, BMA representative body chair and workforce lead, said: “We are deeply concerned by the impact of this communication which will unnecessarily instil fear and doubt in the minds of junior doctors with visas over their legal right to take strike action.”
Ms Patel added: “We urge the Trust to do everything possible to reassure junior doctors that this is absolutely not true. We will fully support any eligible member subjected to detriment as a result of supporting this strike action and we encourage any doctor who is concerned about this or any other issue to contact the BMA for support. To employers – we remind you of your responsibility to act professionally – we have zero tolerance for bullying and harassment.”
A spokesperson for Lewisham and Greenwich NHS Trust said: “This is absolutely not our Trust policy. We are, and always have been, fully supportive of everyone’s right to strike without judgement, fear or consequence. This message was sent in a local WhatsApp group by an individual who made a mistake.
“It has been corrected internally at the most senior level and we have assured our all teams, including our international colleagues, that this is not our position.
“Understandably, it has been distressing for some colleagues and we are deeply sorry that this has impacted them at a time when we are all pulling together to do our very best for our patients.”
