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Health Sector Recruitment in the United Kingdom
The National Health Service (NHS) is the largest health sector recruiter in the UK.
Across NHS hospital, community and primary care settings, there are around 150,000 doctors in total and over 320,000 nurses and midwives. Despite the huge scale of its labour force, it is increasingly apparent that the NHS doesn’t have enough staff to meet demand. The UK's National Health Service (NHS) will soon begin a major campaign to recruit health workers from other countries to meet growing staff shortages. One estimate in March this year said the NHS will need 5,000 extra nurses every year - three times the figure it currently recruits annually. To meet the shortage, NHS has developed a strategy to target of countries around the world, including poorer nations outside Europe.
According to the UK parliamentary report 2018, of every 1,000 NHS staff, More than 12% of the workforce reported their nationality as not British.
As reported in NHS England (2016), General Practice Forward View, NHS EnglandIn primary care, and against an ambition set in 2016 to increase GP numbers by 5,000 by 2020, numbers have fallen by 290 (full-time equivalent) – a decline of 1%. Nevertheless, hospitals are experiencing difficulties with medical staffing in a number of specialties and locations. Approximately one in 10 specialty postgraduate medical training posts go unfilled, though this varies regionally. 11% of places in the North West went unfilled in August 2019, compared to 3% in London.
Around 200,000 people are substantively employed by the NHS to care for people who need mental health services. The largest group of clinicians are registered mental health nurses, but their numbers are in decline. There was a 12% drop in the number of nursing posts between November 2009 and July 2019, as per NHS Employers (2019) Shortage occupation list.
The level of demand for health care is expected to continue to increase, and therefore so will the need for staff. The UK population is expected to increase by a further 11% to 62 million by 2041. Therefore, possible demand for future staff, the gap between staff needed and the number available could reach almost 250,000 by 2030.
So, what does the NHS recruit?
Doctors
Nurses
Mental Health Staff
What are mandatory requirements for the recruitment of nurses?
Requirements Before Coming to the UK
Pass a computer-based multiple-choice test (CBT), which is accessible around the world for applicants to access in their home countries.
Achieve 7 band individually in each module (Reading/Listening/Speaking) and (6.5 score in the writing Section) of the International English Language Testing System (IELTS) OR to obtain Band B in each module of Occupational English Test (OET).
Must gain professional registration with the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) of England. The Nursing & Midwifery Council (NMC) is the regulatory body for UK nurses.
Please note that the applicant must undertake Computer Based Test (CBT). In the event of failing twice, the applicant must wait 6 months to re-appear in the application process.
Requirements After Coming to the UK
An individual entering the UK to take a nursing role has up to three months from the employment start date noted on the certificate of sponsorship (CoS) to sit the OSCE exam.
The OSCE is based on UK pre-registration standards. Candidates are required to act out scenarios that nurses or midwives are likely to encounter when assessing, planning, delivering and evaluating care. An individual entering the UK to take a nursing role has up to three months (12 weeks) from the employment start date noted on the certificate of sponsorship to sit the OSCE exam. During this period, they can be legally employed as a pre-registration candidate. Applicants must complete the OSCE in the UK at an approved test centre.
What is involved in the OSCE?
The OSCE is made up of six separate stations using simulated patients in a clinical setting. Four stations are designed to test the candidate’s knowledge and understanding of assessment, planning, implementation and evaluation of care, and the remaining two stations test clinical skills.
Registration Costs
- Qualification evaluation fee paid to NMC
£140
- Computer based test (CBT) cost paid to test provider before test.
£83 per test
- OSCE cost paid to test provider before exam.
£794 first sitting
- OSCE full resit cost. Payable if candidate fails more than 4 stations.
£794 full resit
- OSCE partial resit cost. Payable if candidate fails less than 4 stations.
£397 partial resit
- Registration fee paid to NMC on submission of registration application.
£153
Skill Vision International recruit nurses from outside EEA for short-term placements to long-term temporary/permanent roles in the UK. We have tailored a complete package for the qualified nurses that will provide an end-to-end service.