Four out of five new nurses on NHS wards are foreign: Influx leads to fears many lack English language skills needed for their job

• In the 12 months to September 2013, 5,778 nurses recruited from abroad
• They made up 81% of the 7,111 nurses who joined the NHS last year
• Fourteen hospital trusts hired 100 or more foreign nurses
• Staffing crisis has come about after number of training posts cuts
• Demand for nurses also intensified after Mid Staffs scandal
• Mail investigation found nurses picked up at recruitment fairs in Portugal struggled to fill out basic forms and needed a translation service
• Legal loophole prevents the Nursing and Midwifery Council checking the English of European nurses before they are registered for NHS work

Recession there has led to high unemployment.

A loophole in EU legislation prevents the Nursing and Midwifery Council from checking the English of European nurses before they are registered for NHS work.

An investigation by the Mail last month found that nurses picked up at recruitment fairs in Portugal, such as this one for Bedford Hospital, struggled to fill out basic forms and needed a translation service

Joana Duarte, 22, Daniela Soares, 22, Mariana Santos, 22 and Diana Silva, 22 (pictured left to right) from Porta are all filling out application forms to work at Bedford hospital as there are no jobs for them in Portugal

Hospitals must carry out their own tests but there is a suspicion that some turn a blind eye to poor results.

Mrs Murphy said: ‘We hear from patients on our helpline there are real issues with nurses from other countries, including problems with communication and a lack of understanding of processes and procedures. We must ensure they are fully qualified and competent to carry out their duties and that they are competent enough in English to effectively communicate with patients.’ 

Four out of five new NHS nurses are foreign, it emerged last night.

Almost 6,000 were recruited from abroad last year, many from Spain and Portugal.

The huge influx – a four-fold rise on the previous 12 months – has sparked fears that some nurses will lack the English language skills to do their jobs properly.

Peter Carter, of the Royal College of Nursing, said the figures showed an ‘astonishing over-reliance’ on foreign staff. He added: ‘The last few years have seen real panic-buying of nurses from wherever they can be found, to keep care safe.’

Katherine Murphy, of the Patients Association, said: ‘We are concerned that poor English skills may lead to mistakes and misunderstandings when patients are trying to explain their problems.’