1,000 signatures reached
To: NMC (Nursing and Midwifery Council) and Jeremy Hunt
Reduce IELTS writing score for Filipino and Indian Nurses.
Please look and the IELTS writing requirement level for Filipino and Indian nurses recruited to work in the NHS. Due to nurses consistently achieving high scores in their speaking, reading and listening modules, but yet still fail their writing requirement. We would like to petition for the NMC to accept an IELTS pass rate overall score of 7 (where it can be dictated that speaking must achieve a score of 7 as a minimum).
NHS Trusts nationwide are spending money recruiting overseas nurses,
all of which are of a outstanding calibre. Once offered these nurses are having to overcome one of their biggest hurdles, passing's the IELTS examination. and failing to achieve the required level particularly in writing. Please consider an overall/average score of 7 rather than individual marks.
NHS Trusts nationwide are spending money recruiting overseas nurses,
all of which are of a outstanding calibre. Once offered these nurses are having to overcome one of their biggest hurdles, passing's the IELTS examination. and failing to achieve the required level particularly in writing. Please consider an overall/average score of 7 rather than individual marks.
Why is this important?
The UK is in need for experienced nurses, this is why they are on the “shortage list” we have wards closed due to staffing levels and considerable amounts are being spent on interviewing in both the Philippines and India only for these nurses to have to decline offers due to the level required in the IELTS being too difficult and expensive to achieve.
These nurses have excellent English language skills but struggle to achieve a level 7 in the writing module.
NHS Trusts nationwide are conducting interviews with Indian & Filipino nurses on a weekly basis, these nurse are of outstanding calibre and are met and interviewed by highly qualified and experienced NHS nursing staff. These NHS staff members are astounded at the level of nursing experience and verbal communications of these nurses yet following interviews many nurses are having to undertake 3-5 IELTS examination to try and achieve a level 7 in each 4 modules. The cost of these multiple examinations can equate to over 1 years’ salary for 1 nurse in their country, this therefore results in many nurses pulling out of their recruitment offers due to lack of finance or even after scoring above average on multiple occasions in their speaking, listening & reading they still cannot pass writing at a level 7.
The NMC do not impose on any UK national to undertake a writing test at a level 7 in order to join the register. International nurses prove at interview stage their writing skills by writing detailed care plans which are assessed and passed by the Trust’s interview panels.
It is a constant frustration felt by NHS Trusts, Staff and Recruitment partners that these nurses have outstanding ability and the highest level of patient care experience however due to the current marking structure set by the NMC they struggle to enter the UK. This is then highlighted ever more when NHS Trusts battle with staff shortages and the lack of qualified or newly graduated nurses in the UK, this untimately causes ward closures and can lead to a high increase in the lack of patient safety.
We are campaigning for the NMC to reconsider the level of writing asked for to enter the UK.
These nurses have excellent English language skills but struggle to achieve a level 7 in the writing module.
NHS Trusts nationwide are conducting interviews with Indian & Filipino nurses on a weekly basis, these nurse are of outstanding calibre and are met and interviewed by highly qualified and experienced NHS nursing staff. These NHS staff members are astounded at the level of nursing experience and verbal communications of these nurses yet following interviews many nurses are having to undertake 3-5 IELTS examination to try and achieve a level 7 in each 4 modules. The cost of these multiple examinations can equate to over 1 years’ salary for 1 nurse in their country, this therefore results in many nurses pulling out of their recruitment offers due to lack of finance or even after scoring above average on multiple occasions in their speaking, listening & reading they still cannot pass writing at a level 7.
The NMC do not impose on any UK national to undertake a writing test at a level 7 in order to join the register. International nurses prove at interview stage their writing skills by writing detailed care plans which are assessed and passed by the Trust’s interview panels.
It is a constant frustration felt by NHS Trusts, Staff and Recruitment partners that these nurses have outstanding ability and the highest level of patient care experience however due to the current marking structure set by the NMC they struggle to enter the UK. This is then highlighted ever more when NHS Trusts battle with staff shortages and the lack of qualified or newly graduated nurses in the UK, this untimately causes ward closures and can lead to a high increase in the lack of patient safety.
We are campaigning for the NMC to reconsider the level of writing asked for to enter the UK.
