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Press release: NHS Employers response to story on employment checks for NHS staff03 Jul 2007 Sian Thomas, Deputy Director of NHS Employers said: "NHS employers carry out rigorous checks before they appoint any member of staff, including verification of identity, qualifications, registration and eligibility to work in the UK. The nature of their work means that staff are dealing with people who are vulnerable and we need to be confident that patients are safe. Criminal Records Bureau checks are mandatory for new staff who come into contact with patients in the course of their normal duties. It is good practice for an employer to carry out a CRB check even if an applicant claims never to have lived in the UK and a police check in that person's country of origin. We would expect an employer to ask a doctor who is being appointed from overseas to bring their own evidence of police clearance in their home country. The CRB operates an overseas information service to help employers in carrying out criminal record checks in a number of overseas countries. (The CRB is working with Australia to create a data link with Australian criminal records.) For junior doctors, who are moving around within the NHS a lot, our advice would be for employers to repeat that CRB check every three years. Employers carry out rigorous pre-employment checks before any doctor takes up a post to ensure patients are protected. We provide employers with up to date advice on all the pre-employment checks they need to carry out for all staff. For example, we updated our guidance on CRB disclosures in April. Temporary staff are subject to the same pre-employment checks as permanent members of staff. It is the responsibility of employers who use the temporary staff to ensure that the appropriate checks have been carried out. While doing all they can to prevent unsuitable people taking up employment in the NHS, employers also have a duty to look after the rights of their staff and this includes not discriminating against employees in any way on the grounds of their religion or belief. The UK has relied on overseas doctors for a number of years though the situation has changed as we have been training many more of our own doctors. Due to the shortages of doctors in the past, medical professionals were able to come to work here without needing a work permit but the rules have now changed. Doctors now need a work permit or can be allowed to compete directly with UK and EEA doctors through the Highly Skilled Migrant Programme, the ultimate aim of which is to ensure patients get the best doctors available." Related publicationsSafer recruitment - a guide for NHS employers (331 kB PDF) Notes for editors
Contact detailsThe press office provides a comprehensive service to keep journalists informed about the work of NHS Employers. If you have a media enquiry, please contact the press office team:
For out of hours media enquiries, please contact the duty press officer on 07880 500726. Last reviewed 6 Jul 2007 |
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