EU standstill provisions extended
The government has announced that healthcare staff from the European Union can join or continue to work in the NHS for the next five years without further assessments or exams.
The standstill provisions, which were originally put in place after the UK left the EU in 2020, allowed EEA-qualified healthcare professionals to work in the NHS without needing to sit additional exams or assessments. These provisions have now been extended until 2028, when a further review is expected to take place.
The review by the Department of Health and Social Care, said: “Retaining the standstill provisions for a temporary period of five years will support the [DHSC’s] ambition to attract and recruit overseas healthcare professionals, without introducing complex and burdensome registration routes.
“EEA-qualified healthcare professionals will be able to continue to register with the relevant professional regulator, without the need to sit additional professional exams, mitigating delays to registration and employment in the NHS.”
The DHSC has announced that a decision will be taken on whether to establish emergency cross-border working arrangements with the Republic of Ireland at a later, unspecified date.
More information on this is available on the GOV.UK website.
