Petition · past parliament

Put General Practitioners on the Home Office's 'Shortage Occupation List'

Closed 1,881 signatures

What the petition asks

GP Practices in rural areas struggle to recruit doctors, forcing many surgeries to close. There are many GPs from outside the EU who would like to work in the UK. However, Practices can't offer them a job without going though the visa bureaucracy, and the NHS is losing many good doctors as a result.
Lincolnshire patients are suffering due to the lack of GPs [1]. In Lincoln, surgeries are closing as a result [2]. The Home Office have been asked to put GPs on the 'shortage occupation' list, but have refused to do this. This is unacceptable.
[1] http://lincolnshirereporter.co.uk/2017/09/i-dont-bother-trying-anymore-man-with-heart-disease-says-queues-outside-gp-are-now-a-joke/
[2] http://thelincolnite.co.uk/2017/09/lincoln-gp-surgery-close-merge-new-plans/

Timeline

19 Sep 2017 Petition opened for signatures
19 Mar 2018 Closed to new signatures

Key facts

Signatures 1,881
Status Closed
Opened 19 Sep 2017
Closed 19 Mar 2018

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Source: the official petition page. Last checked 15 Jul 2026.