Doctors: EU Nationals

Peter Bottomley
To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether compliance with the EU Professional Qualifications Directive for Health Professionals requires a tiered system grouping applicants for positions in the NHS into categories during selection.

Ann Keen
No. Selection for posts in the national health service is a matter for local employers.

Peter Bottomley
To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps he is taking to consult the Royal Colleges on (a) the effects and (b) the implementation of the EU Professional Qualifications Directive for Health Professionals.

Ann Keen
The Academy of Medical Royal Colleges and the Royal Colleges of Nursing and Midwifery were consulted in summer 2007 on regulations to implement the European Directive on Recognition of Professional Qualifications, 2005/36/EC. Now that United Kingdom legislation to implement this directive is in force, the Department has sought feedback from health and social care regulatory bodies on the effects and implementation of the directive, which concerns the recognition of professional qualifications by regulatory bodies.