Dear all, 

I am hoping that you will support this petition against an action by the Home Office which I find extremely immoral and unjust.

I am petitioning for a close friend and colleague who is originally from Malaysia. She has however been working as an NHS doctor for over four years and is currently a doctor at the Royal Cornwall Hospital.

She came to the UK to study Medicine, after which she completed a two year Foundation training Programme and a further two years in Core Medical Training. Since August, she has taken a Staff Grade post at the Royal Cornwall Hospital. A post that was vacant in the Acute Medicine department. 

To those of you that aren't familiar, Core Medical training is a two year programme which involves working in, and rotating through various medical specialties. The programme is renowned for it's antisocial working hours and shift work, trainees frequently working beyond scheduled time without renumeration, significant strain on work life balance as well as an emotionally stressful and challenging work environment (often with workload beyond what is manageable). 

Alongside all of this she has done several compulsory postgraduate exams (with expenses out of her own pocket) all in a country where she has no close relatives. She has done all of this with willingness and out of a respect for the values of the NHS. She has dedicated a great deal of time to the National Health Service.

Despite this, her working VISA application has today been rejected on the basis that her job application process doesn't fulfill the 'labour market test'. This is a process that satisfies the home office that the employer has done as much possible to recruit a British national before recruiting someone from overseas - perhaps regardless of their qualifications and credentials. She has been given 7 days to leave the country and her passport has been seized. 

The notion that a dedicated member of NHS staff will potentially be deported when there are nationwide (and particularly in Cornwall) shortages in doctors and unfilled post throughout this trust and the NHS as a whole, is ludicrous and appalling. She has a long term partner in this country and an entire life here in the UK and in Cornwall.

After years of hard work in the NHS I find it abhorrent that she should be treated in such a disgraceful way.

Please could I request that those of you who feel this treatment by the home office of a dedicated, hard working and indispensable member of the NHS is appalling and unjustifiable also sign this petition. 

I hope to get as many signatures and send this to the home office.

Thank you very much for your time.