The number of European doctors who have sought work in the United Kingdom is not collected centrally. However, for information the General Medical Council will be able to identify the number of European doctors who have applied for UK registration. The last workforce census showed that there were a total of 7,261 qualified medical staff working in the national health service from the European Economic Area as at 30 September 2006.
(2) what criteria are used to assess whether European doctors applying for hospital posts in the United Kingdom are fit to practise following the implementation of the EU Professional Qualifications Directive for Health Professionals;
(3) what mechanisms are in place to support European doctors working in the UK without the required language and communications standards and competencies; and how such support is funded.
The Department's code of practice for the International Recruitment of Healthcare Professionals, which covers recruitment from inside and outside the European economic area, emphasises that all international healthcare professionals should have the appropriate level of English language to enable them to undertake their role effectively and that they should be registered with the relevant regulatory body. The General Medical Council are responsible for assuring themselves that a doctor is fit to practise before granting registration.
In addition NHS Employers' guidance makes clear that
“It is important to remember that all international healthcare professionals need to demonstrate their communication skills... the employer should satisfy themselves of a candidate's ability to communicate to the required standard for the post.”
All applicants for foundation programmes or specialty registrar training opportunities are required to demonstrate competence in the English language.
It is the responsibility of the employer to ensure that any concerns about a doctor's competence are addressed.
The European Union Professional Qualifications Directive has not changed the position in relation to European doctors qualifications, or English language competence on entering the United Kingdom.
(2) what percentage of NHS doctors were EU nationals in the last five years;
(3) what percentage of doctors working in the NHS were non-EU foreign nationals in 2007;
(4) what percentage of doctors working in the NHS were UK nationals in the most recent period for which figures are available;
(5) what percentage of doctors who migrated to the United Kingdom were EU nationals in the last five years.
The national health service work force census does not collect the nationality of NHS Staff; it does however collect the country of primary qualification. The available information is shown in the following tables. The publication of the 2007 figures is provisionally planned for this March.
Numbers (headcount) 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 All countries of qualification 103,350 108,993 117,036 122,345 125,612 Qualified in all of the European Economic Area (EEA) (including United Kingdom) 75,871 79,121 83,225 85,672 87,898 Percentage of staff qualified in all of the EEA (including UK) 73 73 71 70 70 Qualified within the UK 70,245 73,134 76,733 78,647 80,637 Percentage of staff qualified in the UK 68 67 66 64 64 Qualified within the remainder of the EEA 5,626 5,987 6,492 7,025 7,261 Percentage of staff qualified in the remainder of the EEA 5 5 6 6 6 Qualified outside the UK and EEA 23,825 26,109 29,959 32,703 33,805 Percentage of staff qualified outside the UK and EEA 23 24 26 27 27 Unknown country of qualification5 3,654 3,763 3,852 3,970 3,909 Percentage of staff with an unknown country of qualification 4 3 3 3 3 1 Excludes medical hospital practitioners and medical clinical assistants, most of whom are general practitioners (GPs) working part time in hospitals. 2 Medical and dental data as at 30 September each year. 3 General medical practitioners (excluding retainers) includes GP providers, GP others and GP registrars. 4 GP data as at 1 October 1997-99, 30 September 2000-06. 5 Qualified outside the UK consists of those staff which qualified within the remaining EEA and elsewhere in the world. Notes: 1. Information about HCHS staff country of qualification is derived from the General Medical Council. Therefore the country of qualification in shown as unknown for all staff in dental specialties with a General Dental Council registration. 2. The EEA (excluding the UK) includes Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Irish Republic, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland. Sources: 1. The Information Centre for health and social care Medical and Dental Workforce Census 2. The Information Centre for health and social care General and Personal Medical Services Statistics
Numbers (headcount) 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 All countries of qualification 89,619 91,837 93,981 96,319 99,169 103,350 108,993 117,036 122,345 125,612 Qualified outside the UK5 23,483 24,122 24,923 25,764 26,852 29,451 32,096 36,451 39,728 41,066 Qualified within the UK 62,569 64,105 65,442 67,025 68,785 70,245 73,134 76,733 78,647 80,637 Unknown country of qualification6 3,567 3,610 3,616 3,530 3,532 3,654 3,763 3,852 3,970 3,909 1 Excludes medical hospital practitioners and medical clinical assistants, most of whom are GPs working part time in hospitals. 2 Medical and dental data as at 30 September each year. 3 General Medical Practitioners (excluding retainers) includes GP providers, GP others and GP registrars. 4 GP data as at 1 October 1997-99, 30 September 2000-06. 5 Qualified outside the UK consists of those staff which qualified within the remaining EEA and elsewhere in the world. 6 Information about HCHS staff country of qualification is derived from the General Medical Council. Therefore the country of qualification in shown as unknown for all staff in dental specialties with a General Dental Council registration. Sources: 1. The Information Centre for health and social care Medical and Dental Workforce Census 2. The Information Centre for health and social care General and Personal Medical Services Statistics