The UK relies on migrant workers to pick and pack its fruit and vegetables and to work in its poultry sector, through the Seasonal Worker Scheme (SWS). Agriculture is one of Britain’s most hazardous industries, yet for workers who are injured or fall ill on UK farms, access to healthcare is not guaranteed.

The rules are confusing. Workers’ eligibility for free NHS care differs depending on which UK nation they are placed in, and their visa sponsors (the scheme operators) are expected to arrange medical insurance to fill the gaps. But there is no standard, publicly available government guidance on what that insurance should cover. The government’s own survey of workers who were on the scheme in 2025 found that one in three (33.3%) of those who needed medical treatment for sickness or injury did not receive it.

To understand why, FLEX worked with Public Foundation Insan-Leilek in Kyrgyzstan and CAS Analytics in Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan. Together we surveyed 605 people and interviewed 47 who had come to the UK on the scheme, asking about their working conditions and whether they could get medical treatment when they needed it.

Workers told us the rules are hard to understand, and that getting care in practice is harder still. Many relied on other migrant workers for help, which shows that access to healthcare is not guaranteed by the scheme itself. Those who are injured or ill are often forced to choose between carrying on working through pain and leaving the scheme, potentially before they have repaid the money they borrowed for travel and visa costs.

Most concerning of all, workers told us they avoid seeking medical help altogether, fearing it could cost them their job, or their chance of being invited back next season.

Download the full report below to learn more about how workers on the Seasonal Worker Scheme experience and access healthcare in the UK.