18.06.13
Mutual Recognition Directive agreed
A new agreement will stop rogue doctors from moving around Europe to find work in other member states, the NHS European Office has announced.
The European Parliament, Council of Ministers and European Commission have agreed on new measures for health professionals moving around Europe, including new patient safety requirements and an alert system to warn other countries.
The deal will now be formally approved by member states in the council and be voted on by the full European Parliament later this year.
If approved, the agreement will keep doctors’ training to five years and include language checks to ensure doctors’ competency.
Elisabetta Zanon, director of the NHS European Office, said: “The NHS needs to ensure the right checks and balances are in place to protect patients from dangerous care from health professionals. We have worked hard to ensure that patients are safeguarded, and are pleased that this provisional deal has taken account of many of the concerns we raised.
“We need health professionals to be able to move around Europe freely and use their expertise in other countries, but patient safety must be our first priority. NHS organisations must be confident that European staff who come to work in the UK have been properly checked and that their qualifications, experience and other credentials are up to date and meet minimum standards.”
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