Beverley and Holderness MP, Graham Stuart, has praised a “fantastic initiative” which is bringing more diversity and talent to the East Riding while also helping the Government meet its target of recruiting 50,000 more nurses to the NHS.
Humber Teaching NHS Foundation Trust has announced that its first cohort of international nurses have arrived in Hornsea ahead of a 4-week training course hosted in Hornsea Cottage Hospital. The nurses are already qualified in their home country and have years of combined experience practising abroad.
The training, funded with the help of the East Riding Clinical Commissioning Group, will allow them to transition to become UK-registered nurses by preparing them for their Nursing & Midwifery Council (NMC) Objective Structured Clinical Examinations. Once successful and registered with the NMC, the nurses will go on to work in both Hornsea and Malton.
Graham commented, “I can only applaud the work of those at the NHS Trust who have worked hard to make the first part of this project a success, and I look forward to seeing these nurses’ careers develop here in the East Riding.
“It’s such a fantastic initiative, as not only will it help to boost the number of nurses working in the NHS, but it will also bring a buzz to Hornsea and make the most of the facilities available at Hornsea Cottage Hospital.”
Humber Teaching NHS Foundation Trust has worked together with five other trusts across Yorkshire, Lincolnshire and the North East to collaboratively recruit international nurses.
Increasing international recruitment was included as part of the NHS Long Term Plan, first published in 2019, which also set out action to expand the number of undergraduate places to ensure that well-qualified candidates aren’t turned away.
New routes into nursing, including apprenticeships, online qualification and ‘earn and learn’ support, are all being backed alongside a new post-qualification employment guarantee. This is as well as the reintroduction of a bursary of at least £5,000 per year for nursing students.
Graham added, “It’s also good to see that the NHS Trust has gone to the trouble of creating a pastoral support hub for the nurses offering more info about the local area, the language, and other handy tips about living in the UK.
“I hope they enjoy living in Hornsea and making the most of the beautiful coast and countryside, and I’d encourage all the locals to give them a warm Hornsea welcome.”
