The report’s authors told Nursing Times that until last year - when language tests were extended to EU countries - nurses from elsewhere in Europe were usually able to start work in the UK within two months. The Nursing and Midwifery Council is auditing the standards English language qualifications require of foreign nurses after hospital staff and government agencies lobbied to have the pass rate reduced . The current language requirements led around 50 % of nurses to fail or drop out of the test since January 2014 , according to a recent report from healthcare research agency HCL Workforce . However , patients ' groups and the Royal College of Nursing have warned that any drop in standards could jeopardise the safety of the practice .
The Nursing and Midwifery Council is auditing the standards English language qualifications require of foreign nurses after hospital staff and government agencies lobbied to have the pass rate reduced . The current language requirements led around 50 % of nurses to fail or drop out of the test since January 2014 , according to a recent report from healthcare research agency HCL Workforce . However , patients ' groups and the Royal College of Nursing have warned that any drop in standards could jeopardise the safety of the practice .