These measures will help to ensure both the strengthening of public protection and a fair deal for our overseas colleagues

Alison Norman, UKCC president

In the year from March 2000 to 2001, there were 29,119 applications to join the register, according to UKCC, almost a 72% rise on applications in the previous year.

There have been concerns that some overseas nurses cannot speak English well enough to communicate with patients and other staff.

Bodies overseeing nursing homes and nurse education have raised concerns, as have patients and even overseas nurses themselves.

Misconduct

Under the new scheme, nurses will have to obtain a certain mark in a British Council-administered English language test.

Applicants can choose to take in their home country prior to coming to the UK.

The UKCC has no power to require language competence from nurses trained in EU countries because that would contravene European laws of freedom of movement.

Understanding colloquial expressions such as 'can I spend a penny' and being able to relate well to patients and colleagues is about communication rather than standard English

Dee Borley, RCN

Other measures to be introduced include reassessing the education and supervised practice period all new overseas nurses undertake, to bring it in line with regulations for UK-trained nurses.

The UKCC has also said it will examine the issue of allegations of misconduct against overseas nurses.

The number of cases involving overseas nurses has risen as more come to work in the UK, and the UKCC stresses they still make up a small proportion of misconduct cases.

But the organisation said it would look at why there has been a rise in cases.

Colloquial challenge

UKCC president Alison Norman said: "These measures will help to ensure both the strengthening of public protection and a fair deal for our overseas colleagues

"The challenge in regulating the admission of overseas nurses to the register is to be able to assure patients that the standards required of such practitioners are consistent, robust and at least the same as would be expected of a UK-trained practitioner.

"It is equally important to enable applicants to access high quality training and support that will permit them to adapt to professional practice in the United Kingdom."

Dee Borley of the Royal College of Nursing said: "If language tests improve patient care then this is good for everyone including nurses.

"But language testing is only part of the bigger picture of communication skills. Many of the issues are the same whether the nurse is from, for example, the Philippines or France.

"Internationally recruited nurses who have taken the British Council language test have told us that understanding colloquial expressions such as 'can I spend a penny' and being able to relate well to patients and colleagues is about communication rather than standard English."

A spokesman for the Department of Health said: "In nursing, communication is the key skill which underpins every aspect of their work.

"Nurses need to be proficient in speaking, listening, reading and writing in English.

"We already advise the NHS that they need to consider carefully the level of language competency and communication skill necessary to do the job safely and effectively."