Move to help with retraining for doctors and nurses

Move to help with retraining for doctors and nurses

Healthcare professionals will be able to train to become doctors and nurses more quickly after leaving the EU

Health Secretary Matt Hancock insisted flexible training courses will improve recruitment now Britain has quit the bloc.

Mr Hancock said leaving the EU means the UK has more control over the training healthcare professionals receive and allows a greater ability to recognise the skills and experience of existing healthcare professionals who want to switch disciplines.

The Health Secretary is considering plans to make it easier to recognise the skills and experience of existing healthcare professionals who want to switch disciplines, rather than requiring them to start from square one and retrain on "inflexible, fixed-length courses".

Under training standards set by the EU, existing healthcare professionals wishing to move into another area would have to complete a set standard of training, regardless of any existing health background or qualifications, the Health Secretary said.

This includes 5,500 hours of training and a minimum of five years to become a doctor, the Government said.

Mr Hancock said: "Our incredible NHS is full of highly-qualified and dedicated professionals - and I want to do everything I can to help them fulfil their ambitions and provide the best possible care for patients.

"Without being bound by EU regulations, we can focus on ensuring our workforce has the necessary training which is best suited to them and their experience, without ever compromising on our high standards of care or on patient safety.

"The plans we are setting out today mean that we can retrain healthcare workers and get them back to the frontline faster. This is good for patients, and good for our NHS.

"Healthcare professionals across the NHS work tirelessly, day in, day out, to improve the lives of those around them and I welcome this chance to review any unnecessary barriers that can delay them from reaching their full potential in our NHS.

Prerana Issar, chief people officer for the NHS said: "Cutting unnecessary red tape, while keeping and strengthening essential safety standards, will enable our committed staff to retrain for other new and exciting roles, which is better for our patients and will mean we make the most of our staff's invaluable skills and offer them rewarding and lifelong careers in the NHS."

Published: by Radio NewsHub
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