NHS staff 'should face tougher language tests'

Figures obtained by the Royal College of Surgeons (RCS) have suggested that patient safety could be at risk because staff from the EU are not facing tough enough language tests.

The RCS has claimed that Brexit negotiations pose an ‘excellent opportunity’ to ensure language checks are up to scratch.

This follows the discovery that 29 medics from the European Economic Area (EEA) faced allegations of ‘inadequate knowledge of English language’. Four of those doctors have been suspended or had restrictions put on their practice as a result.

Contrastingly, only 10 doctors from outside the EU, where UK regulators are able to test the clinical language skills of applicants, faced the same accusations during 2014/15.

Professor Nigel Hunt, Dean of the Faculty of Dental Surgery at the Royal College of Surgeons, said: “The NHS would struggle to provide care in hospitals, clinics and dental practices without the very skilled doctors, dentists, and nurses that come from both the EU and non-EU countries – it’s absolutely vital that the government find ways to ensure they can remain working in the NHS post-Brexit. That said it’s unquestionable that such staff should be able to communicate clearly with patients in English about their clinical problems, illnesses and treatment.

“While the professional regulators are able to require proof of the clinical language skills of non-EU applicants, the same checks do not apply to EEA applicants and our fear is that this could be putting patients at risk. We want the same rules to apply to all non-UK professionals, regardless of where in the world they come from.”