[lg policy] UK: Review of 'tough' English language tests for international nurses launched

Sat Jun 3 14:56:16 UTC 2017

Review of 'tough' English language tests for international nurses launched
SHARE THIS STORY
AddThis Sharing Buttons
Share to FacebookShare to TwitterShare to TumblrShare to PinterestShare to
LinkedInShare to Google+Share to More
Subscribe to our daily newsletter and receive the latest news straight to
your inbox
Click here to subscribe <http://www.nwemail.co.uk/newsletter>
By Caroline Barber
2 June 2017 10:23PM

UK health chiefs are to consider whether English language tests for
international nurses are too tough after the issue was found to be at the
centre of a staffing shortage on the area's hospital wards.

The Nursing and Midwifery Council has launched a review 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.

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.

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.

"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.

"However, as a responsible regulator that continually looks 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.
Stories you might like to read

   - Violent thug attacks girlfriend then smashes car belonging to passing
   motorist who tried to help her
   <http://www.nwemail.co.uk/news/ulverston/Violent-thug-attacks-girlfriend-then-smashes-car-belonging-to-passing-motorist-who-tried-to-help-her-b8999db3-f8f8-4253-abae-e575ea039164-ds>
   - Two Barrow men charged after alleged stabbing in Ormsgill
   <http://www.nwemail.co.uk/news/barrow/Two-Barrow-men-charged-after-alleged-stabbing-in-Ormsgill-7e7d71a1-12e2-4a1f-bcfc-d0a6ae94cf68-ds>
   - Convicted Barrow sex offender accused of having contact with children
   <http://www.nwemail.co.uk/news/barrow/Barrow-woman-convicted-of-sex-offences-accused-of-having-contact-with-a-child-678c69dc-388b-46f2-88d1-669b29aa0a17-ds>
   - Worldwide praise for Barrow teen's poetic tribute to terror attack
   victims
   <http://www.nwemail.co.uk/null/Barrow-teens-poem-after-bomb-attack-earns-worldwide-praise-f0821622-2e50-478a-b701-ec5861445d6b-ds>
   - Barrow man accused of stealing cash and tools during burglary
   <http://www.nwemail.co.uk/news/barrow/Barrow-man-accused-of-stealing-cash-and-tools-worth-1500-during-burglary-36b38c39-ce27-45e0-82ba-a0836dee72c3-ds>

"We are committed to working with organisations to better 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."

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.

But the average score required by the United States, Canada and Australia
is 6.5.

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.

The trust currently has 160 full time equivalent nursing vacancies.

Despite pressure on hospital services, a number of beds remain closed
because there are not enough staff to cover them.

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.

The situation prompted a warning from UHMBT chief executive Jackie Daniel
warned in March that the workforce issue was beginning to impact upon
services.

This week Sue Smith, the trust's executive chief nurse, welcomed the NMC's
move to review the English test score for international recruits.

"I am pleased that the NMC is considering whether to bring the high test
score in line with other countries.

"The issue is that if our recruited nurses get a score of 6.5 they can go
and work in other countries but not here.

"We have raised this issue and I'm glad the NMC have recognised it."

Mrs Smith added: "We have a number of beds closed that will be reopened
once we can staff them safely.

"This wasn't an easy decision to make but patient safety always comes
first."

READ MORE: English language test for overseas nurses are too tough,
hospital boss claims
<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>

http://www.nwemail.co.uk/news/barrow/Review-of-tough-English-language-tests-for-international-nurses-launched-5ecfd305-b831-45cc-9d67-2d67321b790e-ds

-- 
**************************************
N.b.: Listing on the lgpolicy-list is merely intended as a service to its
members
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)

For more information about the lgpolicy-list, go to
https://groups.sas.upenn.edu/mailman/
listinfo/lgpolicy-list
*******************************************
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://listserv.linguistlist.org/pipermail/lgpolicy-list/attachments/20170603/dfd3c7b4/attachment.htm>
-------------- next part --------------
_______________________________________________
This message came to you by way of the lgpolicy-list mailing list
lgpolicy-list at groups.sas.upenn.edu
To manage your subscription unsubscribe, or arrange digest format: https://groups.sas.upenn.edu/mailman/listinfo/lgpolicy-list