Cultural health capital and professional experiences of overseas doctors and nurses in the UK

Drawing on autobiographical narratives of a small sample of overseas doctors and nurses working in the UK, this study analysed emerging subjective theories of their professional experiences and explored how these are related to the theoretical framework of cultural health capital, an expert theory on a form of cultural capital which is leveraged in healthcare contexts and may result in more optimal healthcare relationships. The findings of our analysis demonstrate that there is a wealth of expertise and experience among overseas healthcare professionals, and that it is underutilised because of structural and institutional barriers. Healthcare professionals with temporary migration status faced longer delays in their career progression than those with EU citizenship or work permits. Irrespective of migration status, career aspirations were thwarted by external circumstances with negative consequences for individuals’ well-being, with doctors being affected more severely than nurses. Structural and institutional barriers that have an impact on professionals’ ability to progress into the UK healthcare system are discussed. The paper concludes with a discussion of the potential of cultural health capital as a framework for capturing and explaining the career trajectories experienced by overseas healthcare professionals.