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Review of 'tough' English language tests for international nurses launched
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By Caroline Barber
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2 June 2017 10:23PM
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<p>UK health chiefs are to consider whether English language tests for <span class="gmail-vm-hook-outer gmail-vm-hook-default"><span class="gmail-vm-hook" style="color:rgb(0,153,0);border-color:transparent transparent rgb(0,153,0)">international</span><span class="gmail-vm-hook-icon" style="display:inline-block"></span></span> nurses are too tough after the issue was found to be at the centre of a staffing shortage on the area's hospital wards.</p>
<p>The Nursing and Midwifery Council has launched a <span class="gmail-vm-hook-outer gmail-vm-hook-default"><span class="gmail-vm-hook" style="color:rgb(0,153,0);border-color:transparent transparent rgb(0,153,0)">review</span><span class="gmail-vm-hook-icon" style="display:inline-block"></span></span>
of the controversial IELT tests which are used to determine whether
foreign nurses have a good enough standard of English to work in the
NHS.</p>
<p>The news comes weeks after
the Evening Mail revealed just two of 104 qualified nurses offered jobs
within Furness General Hospital's parent trust in the last 17 months
have been able to start work because of the high test score required.</p>
<p>A spokesman for the NMC said
while the issue would now be investigated, there could be no guarantee
of a change to the score required.</p>
<p>"While we are aware of some
concerns about our English language policy, we do not currently have any
hard evidence on which to base a change.</p>
<p>"However, as a responsible regulator that continually <span class="gmail-vm-hook-outer gmail-vm-hook-default"><span class="gmail-vm-hook" style="color:rgb(0,153,0);border-color:transparent transparent rgb(0,153,0)">looks</span><span class="gmail-vm-hook-icon" style="display:inline-block"></span></span>
at the suitability of all the standards we set, we have committed to
looking at this standard and gathering further evidence over the coming
months.</p>
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</div><p>"We are committed to working with organisations to <span class="gmail-vm-hook-outer gmail-vm-hook-default"><span class="gmail-vm-hook" style="color:rgb(0,153,0);border-color:transparent transparent rgb(0,153,0)">better</span><span class="gmail-vm-hook-icon" style="display:inline-block"></span></span>
understand their concerns, but at this stage it is important to state
that this decision does not indicate that we feel the current standard
we require is wrong or that we are committing to change."</p>
<p>International nurses outside of
the EU have to score an average of seven in their internationally
recognised IELTS tests to be allowed to work in UK hospitals.</p>
<p>But the average score required by the United States, Canada and Australia is 6.5.</p>
<p>Many of the 104 nurses offered
positions within the University Hospitals of Morecambe Bay NHS Trust -
many of which are from India - have missed the pass mark by half a
point.</p>
<p>The trust currently has 160 full time equivalent nursing vacancies.</p>
<p>Despite pressure on hospital services, a number of beds remain closed because there are not enough staff to cover them. </p>
<p>Recruitment within the UK is
increasingly difficult after the government axed training bursaries for
student nurses last year - affecting the numbers of young people
choosing to enter the profession.</p>
<p>The situation prompted a warning
from UHMBT chief executive Jackie Daniel warned in March that the
workforce issue was beginning to impact upon <span class="gmail-vm-hook-outer gmail-vm-hook-default"><span class="gmail-vm-hook" style="color:rgb(0,153,0);border-color:transparent transparent rgb(0,153,0)">services</span><span class="gmail-vm-hook-icon" style="display:inline-block"></span></span>.</p>
<p>This week Sue Smith, the trust's
executive chief nurse, welcomed the NMC's move to review the English
test score for international recruits.</p>
<p>"I am pleased that the NMC is considering whether to bring the high <span class="gmail-vm-hook-outer gmail-vm-hook-default"><span class="gmail-vm-hook" style="color:rgb(0,153,0);border-color:transparent transparent rgb(0,153,0)">test</span><span class="gmail-vm-hook-icon" style="display:inline-block"></span></span> score in line with other countries.</p>
<p>"The issue is that if our recruited <span class="gmail-vm-hook-outer gmail-vm-hook-default"><span class="gmail-vm-hook" style="color:rgb(0,153,0);border-color:transparent transparent rgb(0,153,0)">nurses</span><span class="gmail-vm-hook-icon" style="display:inline-block"></span></span> get a score of 6.5 they can go and work in other countries but not here.</p>
<p>"We have raised this issue and I'm glad the NMC have recognised it."</p>
<p>Mrs Smith added: "We have a number of beds closed that will be reopened once we can staff them safely.</p>
<p>"This wasn't an easy decision to make but patient safety always comes first."</p>
<p>READ MORE: <a class="gmail-contextmenu gmail-inlinelink" href="http://www.nwemail.co.uk/news/barrow/English-language-tests-for-overseas-nurses-are-too-tough-Barrow-hospital-boss-claims-12240220-8a93-456f-9ff4-4beeeed0a698-ds" target="_blank">English language test for overseas nurses are too tough, hospital boss claims</a>
</p><p><a href="http://www.nwemail.co.uk/news/barrow/Review-of-tough-English-language-tests-for-international-nurses-launched-5ecfd305-b831-45cc-9d67-2d67321b790e-ds">http://www.nwemail.co.uk/news/barrow/Review-of-tough-English-language-tests-for-international-nurses-launched-5ecfd305-b831-45cc-9d67-2d67321b790e-ds</a><br></p><br clear="all"><br>-- <br><div class="gmail_signature">**************************************<br>N.b.: Listing on the lgpolicy-list is merely intended as a service to its members<br>and implies neither approval, confirmation nor agreement by the owner or sponsor of the list as to the veracity of a message's contents. Members who disagree with a message are encouraged to post a rebuttal, and to write directly to the original sender of any offensive message. A copy of this may be forwarded to this list as well. (H. Schiffman, Moderator)<br><br>For more information about the lgpolicy-list, go to <a href="https://groups.sas.upenn.edu/mailman/" target="_blank">https://groups.sas.upenn.edu/mailman/</a><br>listinfo/lgpolicy-list<br>*******************************************</div>
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