Society briefing: NHS hires 3,000 foreign doctors in one year

Society briefing: NHS hires 3,000 foreign doctors in a year due to lack of homegrown staff Aggressive recruitment sees doctors from at least 27 countries hired in 32 of the 160 hospital trusts in England Clare Horton theguardian.com, Wednesday 28 January 2015 07.53 EST Women wait to see a doctor at public hospital in Budapest. Photograph: Bloomberg via Getty Images Sign up to Society briefing email Today’s top SocietyGuardian stories • NHS hires 3,000 foreign doctors in one year to fight lack of homegrown staff • Social care funding in a ‘ridiculous situation’, says LGA head • Ed Miliband’s NHS plans risk losing the election, say Blair supporters • Labour accuses coalition of tightening up NHS major incident criteria • A day at an NHS 111 call centre: ‘you do your best to give the right advice’ • Pregnant smokers quit habit if paid, says report • Welsh ambulances failed to meet response time target last month • Patrick Butler: Yes, David Cameron, cutting the benefit cap tells us a lot about modern Britain All today’s SocietyGuardian stories In today’s SocietyGuardian section • Delays and disarray shatter lives of new disability claimants • Mary O’Hara: US-style healthcare – where being ill could cost you everything you have • Phil Friend: Why Disability Rights UK is providing training for fit-to-work assessments • Tom Clark: In social policy there’s no escaping the big generational divide • Matthew Bryant: Better use of data could help prevent future NHS crises • Plaudits but no cash for Haven that helps those with personality disorder • ‘My mental health detoriated rapidly’: the real impact of benefit sanctions • Mark McGowan: the artist taxi driver with a rear-view manifesto Jobs of the week • Managing director - public affairs and engagement, Leonard Cheshire Disability • Director of fundraising, World Horse Welfare • Children services - head of services family support, Peterborough city council • Senior school improvement advisor, Harrow council The Guardian’s public and voluntary sector careers page Hundreds of public and voluntary sector jobs On the Society Professional Networks • Occupational therapists can alleviate pressure on the NHS, but their profile needs to be raised. David Brindle reports • Family doctors are at breaking point, and it seems the government wants NHS general practice to fail so it can justify privatisation, writes GP Sara Ritchie • Grassroots campaigners more likely than big charities to deliver real change, says Joseph Blake • Hedge fund managers are preparing getaways by buying airstrips and farms in remote areas, former hedge fund partner tells Davos during session oninequality Pick of the blogs • Chris Naylor, the King’s Fund: Is mental health finally becoming a political priority? • Nathan Emmerich, the Conversation: Funding expensive treatments for some on the NHS means less money for everyone else • Mental Health Cop: Criminalising children  • Francesca Gains and Dave Richards, Manchester Policy Blogs: Neither unified, nor uniform – so what civil service for the twenty-first century? • Richard Exell, Touchstone: 145,000 people using food banks because of benefit delays • Rich Watts, Arbitrary Constant: Personalisation, S117 aftercare, out-of-area placements and George Clooney Other news • BBC: Care calculator launched by BBC • Children & Young People Now: Campaigners hope guidance will cut B&B use for care leavers • CivilSociety.co.uk: Band Aid 30 donates first £1.8m to aid charities • Community Care: Children’s social workers set pass or fail test to practise • Independent: Rich pensioners would keep winter fuel allowance under a Tory government • Inside Housing: Councils ‘should take primary responsibility for housing’ • LocalGov.co.uk: Most deprived councils hit with largest cuts, find MPs • Public Finance: Council cuts could make services ‘unviable’, PAC warns • Telegraph: 100 Tory MPs to fight plain packaging on cigarettes • Third Sector: NCVO to spend £50,000 on ‘sector newsroom’ to encourage positive news stories SocietyGuardian blogs Patrick Butler’s cuts blog Sarah Boseley’s global health blog SocietyGuardian on social media Follow SocietyGuardian on Twitter Follow Patrick Butler on Twitter Follow Clare Horton on Twitter Follow Alison Benjamin on Twitter SocietyGuardian’s Facebook page SocietyGuardian links SocietyGuardian The Guardian’s public and voluntary sector careers page Hundreds of public and voluntary sector jobs SocietyGuardian editor: Alison Benjamin Email the SocietyGuardian editor: society@theguardian.com