King's Fund warns UK residency curbs could deepen care staff gap

Health thinktank the King's Fund warns home secretary Shabana Mahmood's plan to tighten residency rules for foreign workers comes as overseas care worker recruitment falls from 105,000 in 2023/24 to 30,000 in 2025/26, heading for 10,000. The sector had 65,000 vacancies in 2025/26. The Conservatives accused Mahmood of a U-turn on indefinite leave to remain.