NHS Lanarkshire Recruitment

Overseas Recruitment

Overseas Recruitment

Why Lanarkshire?

Deciding on which career path you want to go down is a huge decision let alone adding in choosing where to work. Lanarkshire is a popular choice for many moving from abroad to kickstart a new way of life.

Here is Lanarkshire we consider our workers to be friendly, welcoming and down to earth. Our staff are diverse and multicultural – just like our patients. There are a wide range of job opportunities and something for everyone. NHS Lanarkshire prides itself in promoting a healthy work-life balance. Most office jobs following a 9-5pm shift pattern. In clinical roles, shifts are carried out a rota basis so there is always a way to plan around work.

Right to work in the UK

In order to ensure individuals are able to come work with us, we ask candidates for evidence of eligibility to work in the UK – details of what is required can be found on the UK Government website https://www.gov.uk/prove-right-to-work.

Level of English

We also ask all candidates to prove they can read, speak, write and understand English. Evidence of this could be by achieving the desired score in the following:

• International English Language Test System (IELTS) https://www.ielts.org/
• Occupational English Test (OET) https://www.occupationalenglishtest.org/

More information on other ways prove your knowledge of English, please see the UK Government Website https://www.gov.uk/health-care-worker-visa/knowledge-of-english.

Regulatory Bodies

You must have a valid General Medical Council (GMC) registration with license to practice in order to practice medicine in Scotland. The General Medical Council is responsible for maintaining the register of medical practitioners in the UK.

There are different types of registration that would be required depending on different job types:

• Provisional Registration
• Full Registration
• Specialist Registration
• GP Registration
• To find out how to register, please visit the GMC website. There are lots of pathways to gaining GMC Full Registration which depends on many factors including your nationality, qualification and experience. The GMC website has a registration status tool which will identify the correct route for you and will give you all the information you need on the steps you need to take.
• There are costs involved in gaining your GMC registration. Please check the fees webpage of the GMC website for further information.

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Professional and Linguistic Assessment Board (PLAB) TEST – Medics

The Professional and Linguistic Assessment Board Test (PLAB) ensures that doctors have gained their qualification abroad have the correct knowledge and skills to practise in the UK.

You are required to take the PLAB test if you completed medical school outside of the UK, EEA or Switzerland. This is subject to some exceptions which can be found on the GMC Website: https://www.gmc-uk.org/registration-and-licensing/join-the-register/before-you-apply/acceptable-postgraduate-qualifications#UK.

The test is split into two parts:

1. Written, multiple choice exam with 180 single best answer questions
2. A practical structured clinical exam, known as an OSCE

Part 1 can be passed both in and out with the UK but part 2 can only be sat in the Clinical Assessment Centre in Manchester. Dates for this assessment can be found on the GMC website: https://www.gmc-uk.org/registration-and-licensing/join-the-register/plab/plab-2-guide/when-and-where-can-you-take-plab-2.

Once you have passed both parts of the PLAB test you can apply for a registration with a licence allowing you to practise in the UK.

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Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC)

The Nursing and Midwifery Council in the UK ensures nurses and midwives have the skills they need to care for people safety, with integrity, expertise, respect and compassion, from the moment they step into their first job. The NMC supports the healthcare professionals on the register to deliver the highest standards of care.

To practice as a healthcare professional in Scotland, you must register with the NMC. Please click the link below to find out specific information about this registration.

• Nursing/Midwifery Registration

There are costs involved in gaining your NMC registration, they will vary depending on the country you trained in. Please click on the links below to find out more information. They will take you to the NMC website and you will be able to choose the country you trained in and find out the exact process.

• Trained outside of the EU/EEA
• Trained in the EU/EEA 

Below is a step by step guide for completing NMC registration if you are coming from overseas.

Step 1: English Test

As mentioned above, the first step of registering with the NMC is to provide evidence of your knowledge and understanding of English.

You can take either the UK Visas and Immigration IELTS or Academic IELTS and score 7 in each section & 6.5 in Writing or you can take the OET and score a B in each section and a C+ in Writing.

For information about preparing for IELTS visit https://takeielts.britishcouncil.org/take-ielts/prepare

For information on the OET visit https://www.occupationalenglishtest.org/test-information/healthcare-professions/nursing/

Step 2: Initial documentation for registration

The NMC requires you to submit a scanned copy of your passport, qualifications and registration information to the NMC website.

For more on initial registration requirements click see the NMC pre-application checklist https://www.nmc.org.uk/registration/joining-the-register/register-nurse-midwife/trained-outside-the-eueea/new-application/how-to-guide/check-ready/checklist-tool/.

If this verification is completed, you will then receive an invite to register to take your computer based test (CBT).

Step 3: Test of Competence

In order to gain registration, you must complete the NMC Test of Competence. This is used to assess the skills and knowledge of those applying for registration from overseas.

The test is composed of two parts. A computer based test (CBT) which includes theory based questions and a practical exam known as an OSCE (Objective Structured Clinical Examination).

The CBT test must be passed before coming to the country and the OSCE can be sat in the UK once you have moved country.

On successfully completing the CBT you will be asked to fill in a health declaration, police check and submit your English language evidence before arriving in the UK. These documents MUST be submitted to your account before you fly to the UK.

Step 4: When you arrive in the UK

We can start the visa application process and arrange date for you to start with us. Once you arrive in the UK, you are required to book the second part of your assessment (your employer may organise this for you) called the OSCE (Objective Structured Clinical Examination). This is scenario based test which mimics scenarios nurses are likely to encounter in care.

Once the OSCE is complete, you will be fully registered to practise within Lanarkshire.

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Health & Care Professions Council (HCPC)

The Health & Care Professions Council in the UK regulates different health and care professions ensuring the safety of the public. This is done by setting standards for professionals’ education, training and practice, keeping a register of professionals who meet their standards and take action if professionals on the register do not meet standards.

All professions regulated by HCPC have one or more designated titles that are protected by law and professional must be registered to use them. To find out more information about the professions and protected titles, please click visit the HCPC website: https://www.hcpc-uk.org/about-us/who-we-regulate/the-professions/.

There are specific standards you need to meet before you can register, which will differ depending on the chosen profession. Please visit the HCPC website: https://www.hcpc-uk.org/about-us/who-we-regulate/the-professions/ to find out more about the standards. To find out how to get on the Register, please visit International Applications section on HCPC website: https://www.hcpc-uk.org/registration/getting-on-the-register/international-applications/.

In order to practice in the UK as a Health & Care Professional, you must be registered with HCPC. Anyone not on the Register who uses a designated title may be breaking the law and could be prosecuted.

You must be HCPC registered before you can leave your country to come work with us.

As mentioned above, you will need to prove your knowledge of English either through the IELTS test or the OET test.

There are costs involved in gaining your HCPC registration including a registration fee that covers you for two years.

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Visas and Immigration

Please note visa and immigration rules have changed in the UK post-Brexit (withdrawal process of the United Kingdom (UK) from the European Union (EU)). For the most up to date changes please visit https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/uk-visas-and-immigration

NHS Lanarkshire workforce is diverse and multicultural – just like our patients. We treat all candidates with fairness.

If you have been offered a post within NHS Lanarkshire, you will be issued a Certificate of Sponsorship to allow you to apply for a Health and Care Worker visa.

This visa will grant you entry to the UK and allow you to work within the role and within our NHS Lanarkshire.

In addition to the Certificate of Sponsorship, you must be able to meet the other eligibility requirements.

To find out more about the Certificate of Sponsorship, please visit https://www.gov.uk/health-care-worker-visa.

Visa Eligibility

To qualify for the new Health and Care worker visa, you must meet the criteria below:

• Be a qualified doctor, nurse, health professional or adult social care professional
• Work in an eligible health or social care job
• Work for a UK employer that’s been approved by the Home Office
• Have a ‘certificate of sponsorship’ from your employer with information about the role you’ve been offered in the UK
• Be paid a minimum salary – how much depends on the type of work you do.

(Source: Gov UK, https://www.gov.uk/health-care-worker-visa )

Job Eligibility

To check if your job is eligible, visit the UK Government Website: https://www.gov.uk/health-care-worker-visa/your-job.

How long can you stay

The Health and Care Worker visa will allow you to stay in the country for 3 years to begin with, which will then be reviewed.

How to apply

Applications are completed online and how you apply will depend on your current situation. More information can be found on the UK Government Website: https://www.gov.uk/health-care-worker-visa.

Timescales and cost

To find out the current timescales, cost and any additional information, visit the UK Government Website https://www.gov.uk/health-care-worker-visa.

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Application Process

Getting your application started is easy. There are a number of stages to the recruitment process – we will keep you well informed on how things are progressing and keep you right. Our international recruitment team will support you through each stage of the recruitment process.

If you have a disability or medical condition or individual need which may affect your performance in our selection process, please advise our recruitment team contacts if we can support you. We welcome the opportunity to discuss any reasonable adjustments to our recruitment process to ensure we adapt our process for you fairly.

Application

The vacancies which are currently being advertised can be found on our vacancy website – https://apply.jobs.scot.nhs.uk/

Shortlisting

Upon a job advert closing your application will be sent to a shortlisting panel. The panel will assess your suitability for the post you have applied to. If successful at this stage, you will be invited to attend a formal interview. Depending on your current location and availability we will discuss with you options for either a video interview or attending an interview in person.

Pre-interview

If selected for an interview the international recruitment advisor will arrange a time to discuss the role you have been shortlisted for to discuss each step of the interview process. This will also give you an opportunity to ask any questions you may have.

Interview

The interviews last approximately 45min to 1 hour. During this time you will be asked a number of competency-based questions where the panel will be looking for you to provide examples from your previous experience to support your application.

Throughout the interview, you will be given a score based on your responses.

The recruitment team will advise you of the outcome of your interview.

Relocation

Upon being offered a post you will be contacted by our recruitment team, who will liaise with you to ensure you are fully supported with your move to Scotland.

We are keen ensure you are comfortable and supported when you come to work with us and we have welcome packages available. We also have a programme in place called ‘Soft Landings’ to ensure you receive the best support and know who to turn to if you have any issues. For more information, please visit: https://www.soft-landing.org/.

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