Until July the Nursing and Midwifery Council ensured that new recruits must have worked at least 450 hours in the last three years or go on a refresher course.

However, following a decision by the council to stop administering these tests, nurses from other EU countries now only need a diploma from their country showing they are qualified. The council stopped administering the tests because they feared breaking EU law on freedom of movement for workers within the EU.
The government says it has plans to investigate the issue.

Penny Streeter, OBE, managing director of medical and health recruiter A24 Group, told Recruiter: “Our primary concern in A24 Group nursing agencies is patient safety, which must be maintained above all other concerns. Agencies need to know that the nurses they recruit have up-to-date skills and are suitably trained and experienced. The change in the rules will reduce these powers and therefore is a cause for serious concern. We want to see suitable safeguards in place to protect standards and ensure patient safety.”

Nichola Hooper, national resourcing manager at BUPA, which runs more than 350 care homes in the UK, told Recruiter: “We always make sure we are satisfied with a candidate’s clinical abilities before employing them. This will not change.”

The key is providing the right mentoring and supervision for nurses with less practical experience. We have a training programme for new recruits to ensure our nurses achieve the high standards we expect of them.”

Caroline Waterfield, deputy head of employment services at NHS Employers, urged employers to check Nursing and Midwifery Council registration, and to ensure that robust recruiting and selection processes are in place. Waterfield told Recruiter: “This will ensure that the individual meets the requirements of the post and will highlight any gaps in training or experience that may need addressing.”