07 July 2006
Moves to protect nurses' jobs from overseas competition have failed to impress the Royal College of Nursing.
A recent survey discovered that only 20% of UK nurses due to graduate this summer had found jobs. Health minister Lord Warner denied the picture was as grim as the survey painted, but said action must be taken.
Nurses in bands five and six of the Agenda for Change pay scales — newly-qualified to two years' experience — have been taken off the Home Office occupation shortage list.
From August 7 trusts must try to recruit nurses on these grades from the UK or the European Economic Area. Warner said the numbers in these grades were buoyant, following successful recruitment campaigns.
But RCN general secretary Beverly Malone said: 'Over 150,000 nurses are due to retire in the next five to ten years and we will not replace them all with home-grown nurses alone.
'International nurses have always been there for the UK in times of need, and it beggars belief that they are now being made scapegoats for the current deficits crisis.'
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