Working in the UK                                                                                                                                                                   Register with us

It is a big step to start working in another country and there are usually many questions to be asked at the outset. We have listed some of the most common ones below:

Will my English be good enough?
No English test is required if you apply for NMC registration as an EU-citizen. However the hospitals require that your standard of English is good.

Good examples of books about Medical English and working in the UK include:

Plabsite Handbook, The: For Doctors, Nurses and Allied Health Professionals Guide to UK Health Systems and Professional Structures Guide to English Usage in Clinical Practice by Lynn Ashburner
Hospital English: Learning Workbook for International Nurses by Catharine Arakelian, Mark Bartram, and Alison Magnall
The Essential Communication Programme for International Nurses (Hospital English) by Catharine Arakelian, Mark Bartram, Alison Magnall, and Meg Richardson

Do I need insurance (medical indemnity)?
All NHS posts are covered by a hospital insurance scheme which applies whilst you are working within the hospital. However, any work carried out externally to the hospital, e.g., a roadside accident, will not be covered under this scheme, and we therefore advise that you obtain your own Indemnity Insurance through the Royal College of Nursing. Private hospitals normally insure their nurses but this is worth checking on.

Accommodation and travel
Most NHS hospitals offer accommodation. This is often rather basic and you can expect to share a kitchen and bathroom. Scanloc can help you to find alternative accommodation if required. For posts based in Private London hospitals, accomodation is provided in central London for the first six months.
For standard NHS locum jobs you will pay your own travel costs to and from the UK. Most hospitals pay travel expenses to and from your port of entry and the hospital. 

How will I be paid?
When you work on a temporary basis for the NHS or at a private hospital through Scanloc you will be paid on a weekly basis directly into your British bank account. Nurses in permanent posts are normally paid on a monthly basis. Scanloc will assist you in opening a British account.

To look at available nursing jobs click here:   Available jobs