EU nurses to undergo English language checks

Nurses and midwives arriving in Britain from the EU will be required to prove they are fluent in English, under new guidance by the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC).

The move means a nurse who is unable to show they have sufficient language skills will have to undergo an English language assessment, which until now, only applied to nurses from outside the EU.

The new regulations also fall in line with rules for doctors, who are already examined in this way for patient safety.

The tests will check listening, reading, writing and speaking fluency, and if the results suggest the nurse or midwife does not meet the standard requirements, they could be investigated under fitness to practice rules.
Currently, the NMC has more than 690,000 nurses and midwives on its register, with around 66,000 of these coming from non-EU countries and 33,000 from the EU.

Jackie Smith, NMC chief executive, said: "From now on all nurses and midwives applying to join the register from outside the UK, including the EU, will have to demonstrate they can communicate effectively to a high standard of English.

"The ability to communicate effectively with patients is fundamental to patient safety and a principle that is central to our code.

Katherine Murphy, of The Patients Association, said: "Nurses from other countries make an extremely important contribution to healthcare in the UK. However, we hear from patients on our National Helpline that there can be real issues with some overseas health professionals; including problems with communication and a lack of understanding of processes and procedures.

"The Patients Association calls on all Trusts to ensure that their staff meet these new requirements, and that all overseas nurses have the necessary support and training to be able to offer patients safe and effective care."