NMC language changes good news for employers of

In our blog ‘Are the NMC changes to the English language requirements beneficial for health & social care employers?’ we outlined the recent announcement by the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) concerning the changes in the English language requirements.The main changes involve the NMC standardising the minimum scores they accept when combining test scores and the period in which they have allowed candidates to resit tests and combine scores.The second update relates to employers being allowed to provide supporting evidence on behalf of their international health care staff to support their English Language proficiency.

The supporting evidence will need to be given by a manager who is an NMC registered professional.The NMC will provide a standard form for employers to complete and in addition it will need to be countersigned by a more senior NMC registered professional working for the same employer.

The NMC have given the reasons for the changes, one of which is concerns that there are skilled professionals working in the UK health and care sector who demonstrate English language proficiency in practice but who are unable to join the NMC register because they are narrowly missing out on achieving current accepted pass scores.

To support a case for change the NMC spoke to a wide range of partners including employers, trade unions, test providers and people who had experienced the process of English language tests.All feedback has been carefully considered before the changes were published as the NMC recognise the importance of clear and effective communication being key to achieving high-quality care.

What are the benefits for health and social care employers

The changes, to be implemented in January 2023, will prove beneficial to Health and Social care employers in the following ways.

· Employers will benefit from a greater supply of international nurses and care assistants to support their permanent staffing solutions.

· There will be more flexibility for nurses relocating to the UK to gain their NMC pin.

· Employers will be able to provide supporting information if their employee has worked for them for a minimum of 12 months and has missed out on the required IELTS/OET score.

· The timeframe in which a health care worker (who is a registered nurse in their country of origin) can transition to an RGN will be quicker.

How Nursingjobs UK can help employers

We are an awarded supplier for International Recruitment of Clinical healthcare Professionals for NHS Procurement in Partnership and Crown Commercial Service. Delivering time-bound international healthcare recruitment we guarantee retention of placements for up to one year, with a 100% free replacement if the staff member leaves employment within a year. We are listed on the NHS Employers list of ethical recruiters list that operate in accordance with the revised code of practice.

To discuss your recruitment project, click here or get in touch by calling 0203 4057168. If you would like to arrange a meeting to discuss your requirements further please feel free to book here