RCN comment on EU Directive on professional qualifications

Published: 23 February 2012

Commenting ahead of a debate in which members of the European Parliament will consider legislation around the free movement of health professionals in Europe, Royal College of Nursing (RCN) Chief Executive & General Secretary, Dr Peter Carter, said: 

“Nursing is a global profession and individual health professionals have every right to seek recognition and employment in another EU country.  However, patient safety has to be the top priority for nurses and other healthcare workers. A key element of this is the ability to communicate clearly with patients. Therefore, the RCN welcomes the fact that the Directive comes before MEPs with allowances for language testing as well as requiring EU regulators to alert each other if a health professional is no longer allowed to practise.

“Despite these positives we remain concerned about the lack of requirement to ensure professionals keep their skills up to date. It is surely a risk to patient safety that a nurse who has not worked for a number of years could, in theory, come to the UK from another EU country, register with the Nursing and Midwifery Council and begin working.

“Equally, as nurses are now delivering more complex levels of care it is vital that they are equipped with a good base level of education. For this reason the RCN strongly supports the move to require a minimum of 12 years of general education, or equivalent, to enter nurse education and would urge MEPs to back this proposal.”

Notes for Editors

1. You can read the full briefing as issued to MEPs here http://www.rcn.org.uk/__data/assets/pdf_file/0003/434928/RCN_response_to_December_2011_Mutual_Recognition_of_Professional_Qualifications_legislative_proposals.pdf

2. For further information, please contact the RCN Media Office on 020 7647 3633, press.office@rcn.org.uk or visit  http://www.rcn.org.uk/newsevents/media

3. The Royal College of Nursing (RCN) is the voice of nursing across the UK and is the largest professional union of nursing staff in the world. The RCN promotes the interest of nurses and patients on a wide range of issues and helps shape healthcare policy by working closely with the UK Government and other national and international institutions, trade unions, professional bodies and voluntary organizations.