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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
Politics
Shanti Das

Overseas nurses barred from profession due to ‘discriminatory’ language exam

Nurses at work
Despite having an NHS employer to vouch for their skills, many nurses are unable to practice as they cannot pass the language exams. Photograph: Victoria Jones/PA

Thousands of qualified nurses recruited by the NHS from overseas are stuck working in unskilled jobs because of unnecessarily difficult language tests, according to researchers.

Nurses ​with British citizenship who have lived in the UK for ​years are among those in “regulatory limbo” because they ​cannot pass the language exams needed to register with the Nursing and Midwifery Council​.

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