Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he plans to fast-track the registration of healthcare professionals trained overseas to enable them to assist the NHS during the covid-19 outbreak.

The Government recognises the valuable contribution that healthcare workers who have trained outside of the United Kingdom are making to assist the National Health Service during the COVID-19 outbreak. Collective work is being undertaken by the Department, NHS England and the healthcare regulatory bodies to plan for additional NHS workforce capacity as part of the COVID-19 response. This includes the possible increased use of healthcare professionals trained overseas.

The Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) is exploring extending its emergency temporary register to nurses and midwives from overseas given the expected escalation in coronavirus cases in the UK. This may mean that candidates are already in the UK who have successfully completed part of their NMC registration process would be granted temporary registration.