Nurses, Doctors, OT’s In Ireland, Spain And Portugal – UK Wants YOU!

Cynthia Barker writes...Concept Care Solutions, the London based medical recruitment specialists, has been to Madrid, Lisbon, Porto, Zagreb, Sofia, Dublin, Sligo, Cork and Galway in the last few months recruiting Nurses, Doctors, AHP’s and Care Workers for UK job vacancies in the NHS!

I was with Concept Care’s international team at the weekend attending the MedPharm Recruitment Job Fair for Nurses, Doctors, AHP's and Carers in Barcelona and Madrid - and the roadshow rolled on to other EU countries.

In addition to meeting many great Spanish Nurses and Doctors, we also touched base with the Filipino community in Spain. There are around 25,000 Pinoys in Barcelona alone, most of them working in low paid jobs as domestic helpers or private carers. 

Sadly, it is very difficult for Filipinos to practice their real professions, for instance in nursing or medicine, as our former colonial masters do not accept Philippine Degrees or professional qualifications at face value. I met large numbers of Filipino trained nurses and PT's struggling to make ends meet - not even receiving a regular salary, despite the fact that they are Spanish passport holders (see photo below).

I advised them that if they move to London, Concept has hundreds of job vacancies for Nurses, Live-in Carers, Doctors, OT's and Radiographers. As Spanish citizens they are free to work anywhere within the EU under free movement directives.

Concept Care, who do not charge any placement fees, help candidates with accommodation, NMC registration and offer free training.

We were delighted that Honorary Consul General Jordi Roches took time out of his busy schedule to visit our job stand in Barcelona - pictured below with, from left to right, Charles Kelly, Marketing and Recruitment Manager, Cynthia Barker and Concept’s Director Edith Fongho.

The next day Jordi had to fly to the Philippine Embassy in Madrid to meet President Aquino who was visiting Spain last weekend.

The recruitment job fair was a great success, but we discovered that due to the troubled economy, hundreds of Spanish-Filipino citizens would like to try their luck in London where there are 1000's of jobs for nurses and care workers! 

Whilst in Madrid, I took time out to pay my respect to the Philippine Embassy and to meet the Labor Attaché, Ma. Elvira  Ador (pictured below centre with Charles Kelly and Cynthia Barker).

Marketing and Recruitment Manager Charles Kelly went back to his 'roots' in Ireland last weekend taking in Sligo, Galway and Dublin looking for Irish nurses.

Concept will be talking a team from a top London hospital to interview nurses in Dublin at the Ballsbridge Hotel on 13 February 2015.

If you are an EU passport holder living in Ireland, Spain, Portugal or within the EEA and would like to work in the UK email Charles Kelly at Concept Care Solutions - ckelly@londonccs.com  - with your CV.

NMC Change Non-EU Nurse Registration Process For Working In The UK

Cynthia Barker writes...Good news for overseas nurses who trained outside the EU or EEA. The NMC (Nursing and Midwifery Council) requirements for overseas nurses wishing to work in the UK are changing this October 2014. The overseas nursing programme (ONP) will be replaced by a new online written 'competence test' and assessment held in the UK.

The new 'competence test' system will make it easier for employers, such as the NHS, to recruit non-EU nurses who want to work in the UK.

Overseas nurses are desperately needed to fill the 20,000 plus UK nurse job vacancies in the NHS alone.

Non-EU nurses will still need an English language level of IELTS 7.00, unlike EU nurses who do not have to prove their English language competence.

The new NMC process should make it easier for non-EU nurses to work in the UK and for more attractive for employers to recruit them.

Medical recruitment agencies, such as Concept Care Solutions, and NHS Trusts have already gone out to the EU (Spain, Greece, Portugal, Romania and Bulgaria) to find nurses, care workers, OT's, PT's and doctors. EU workers can go anywhere within the EU to work, which means the UK faces stiff competition fro the best medical staff.

NHS employers will have to start employing non-EU nurses and staff from countries such as India and the Philippines in order to meet massive shortages.

Many hospitals have flown all over Europe but failed to recruit the required number of staff, as well as discovering that the level of English language ability left a lot to be desired. There is no requirement for IELTS 7.00 for nurses from the European Union despite the fact that the average European nurse probably speaks a lower level of English than a Filipino, African or Indian nurse, let alone and Australian nurse!

Concept Care Solutions is now planning recruitment drives in the Philippines and India once again to recruit thousands of nurses and AHP's.

Are you one of the large numbers of qualified nurses currently in the UK, for instance on a student or PSW visa? You may also be a qualified nurse working as a carer who would like to get back into nursing.

If you are an overseas nurse, AHP or Doctor in the UK or overseas, send your CV to info@londonccs.com.

If you need advice on any immigration matter, including overstaying your visa, EU or UK immigration law, or want to appeal against a refusal, call Cynthia Barker on 07850 307687 or 0208 731 5972 or email her your details to immigration@londonccs.com. Cynthia Barker is a qualified OISC Registered Immigration Adviser, with 15 years experience in immigration matters, with a team of Level 3 Immigration Law Practitioners, Concept Care Solutions, Middlesex House, 29-45 High Street, Edgware, HA8 7UU.