What the EU Referendum means to your EC Rights

The NHS employs thousands of foreign healthcare professionals every year, yet the upcoming referendum on the UK’s place within the EU has many doctors, nurses, dentists and others concerned.

If you’re a medical professional, you could well be asking yourself questions over whether practicing in the UK is a good idea, or whether it would be harder to enter the country. There are a lot of key facts you should understand if you’re considering a career in the UK, so keep reading if you want to be the one in the know.

Why there’s no need to panic

First of all, regardless of the referendum outcome, it’s important to remember that there would be little impact on immigration law. The UK already controls its own borders, so it’s unlikely that laws would change in the event of the UK leaving the EU. You can read more on this on the Parliament website.

Secondly, millions of British citizens work across Europe, and voting to leave the EU could have a big knock-on effect for their ability to find work within their sector. Aside from it being a step into the unknown, it’s highly unlikely that they would want to vote to leave the EU when it could affect their personal development and their families so heavily.

Why the NHS needs you

The UK is one of Europe’s biggest employers of foreign medical workers, recruiting thousands to work in the NHS each year. Qualified medical professionals have always been in high demand in the UK, and there’s no sign of this decreasing due to several factors.

For one thing, statistics last year reported a further 6% drop in the number of applications for GP positions, which has put added strain onto already pressured resources. Plus, just last month it was reported that the figures for junior doctor specialist applications are at an all-time low. These roles are in high demand, and a fantastic opportunity for highly-trained foreign nationals.

Aside from this, while reports published just last year claimed that over 1 in 3 of all doctors registered in the UK currently were trained abroad. So clearly, not only is the NHS already made up of a diverse group professionally, but the need for more foreign nationals is rising with each year to aid us with our ever aging population.

What you need to know about current legislation

If you’re a doctor, you must have registration with a licence to legally practice medicine in the UK. A licence to practice applies to all levels of registration, and is issued by the General Medical Council (GMC). Not only that, but you must also follow the GMC’s good medical practice guidance and be subject to the GMC Fitness to Practice actions.

The requirements for registration in the UK will depend on a number of factors, including your nationality, the country in which you gained your primary medical qualification, the type of work you want to do, and whether or not you have completed a period of post-graduate training or an internship. With this in mind, you should first check with the GMC that you possess an acceptable primary medical qualification to apply for registration.

If you’re not a UK/EEA national, then you’ll need to meet the requirements of UK Visas and Immigration regulations too, in order to gain the right to enter and work in UK.

Types of registration

There are four main types of registration within the UK: provisional, full, specialist and GP.

1. Provisional registration only allows newly qualified doctors to undertake an approved Foundation Year One post, and is available to the following individuals:

• UK medical graduates who have completed their medical degree at a UK University, recognised in the Medical Act 1983
• International medical graduates who have an acceptable primary medical qualification, and who have passed the PLAB test, but who have not completed an internship
• Nationals from the EEA, Switzerland and other countries with EC rights, who qualified outside of the EEA and Switzerland
• Nationals from the EEA, Switzerland and doctors who have EC rights, who qualified at EEA or Swiss medical schools
• Doctors who have qualified in an EEA member state can apply to do their internship in the UK, if the practical training counts towards a medical degree which requires this for compliance with Directive 2005/36/EC

2. Full registration enables doctors to work in any form of professional medical practice in the UK, provided that they hold a licence to practise. Doctors qualifying from outside the UK may be eligible to apply for full registration, if they hold an acceptable primary medical qualification, as well as successful completion of an internship. A doctor will need to provide original documentary evidence to support their application, and visit the GMC in person to undergo a pre-registration identity check.

Any UK graduate or IMG new to full registration, taking up a new job, or restoring their name to the register after a prolonged absence from practice, is required to work within an approved practice setting (APS) as assessed by the GMC. This is to provide public protection, so that new or returning doctors have appropriate supervision and appraisal arrangements or assessments as necessary.

3. Specialist registration applies to all consultants other than a locum consultant appointment, and can only be attained with full registration. To be eligible, doctors must have successfully completed a GMC-approved training programme, and been granted one of the following:

• Certificate of Completion of Training (CCT)
• Certificate confirming Eligibility for Specialist Registration (CESR)

Doctors who have not completed a full GMC-approved training programme and wish to have their qualifications assessed for specialist eligibility, must make an application under The General and Specialist Medical Practice Order for a CESR.

4. GP registration is required by all UK doctors working in general practices in the NHS (other than doctors in training). If you have not completed the UK GP Certificate of Completion of Training programme, you’ll need to apply for a Certificate of Eligibility for General Practice Registration (CEGPR).

English language proficiency

Overseas doctors applying for registration must satisfy the GMC that they have the necessary knowledge of English. Candidates will be required to prove that they meet the GMC’s requirements by taking the International English Language Testing System (IELTS) test which has four areas: speaking, listening, reading and writing.

After successfully completing the IELTS test, the GMC uses the Professional and Linguistic Assessment Board (PLAB) test, to ensure that international doctors have the basic medical competence and communication skills to practise in the UK. Further details including dates, test centres and costs, can be found on their website.

If you have any questions or you’d like further assistance on how to become a part of the NHS, get in touch with the experts at Hylton-Potts. Call us on 020 7381 8111 or send us an email to [email protected].

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