The Nursing and Midwifery Council is to stop administering safety checks after being told it could be sued by the European Commission for breach of EU law on freedom of movement for workers. It would mean that foreign nurses are also no longer required to show they have looked after patients in the past three years. Currently nurses from the EU must demonstrate their skills are up to standard either, by showing they have undertaken at least 450 hours of nursing in their own country within the last three years or by attending an intensive three month course. The tests will continue to apply for nurses outside the EU.
Daily Telegraph 12th July 2010
