'Untapped pool' of refugee nurses

Marie Claire Sippo

It has set up a database of refugee nurses across the country in a bid to get an idea of how many are in the UK. So far, it has identified 70, but it believes there are many more.

BBC News Online has spoken to two nurses who are part of a project in the north-east which aims to help refugees.

Marie Claire Sippo, 32, fled to the UK from Cameroon after the political situation meant it was no longer safe for her to stay there.

I appreciate the need for patient safety, but there should be some mechanism by which we could fast-track people Judith Hunter, North East Project for Integrating Healthcare Professionals Retraining refugee doctors: How it's done

Only when her work in Cameroon as a maternity, gynaecology and paediatric nurse has been evaluated will she be able to start working as a nurse in the UK.

But, like other nurses who trained overseas, she is then likely to have to undergo a three to six month adaptation programme in which they learn how to tailor their work to the NHS's needs.

She said: "One of the problems is that we all need registration as nurses in order to practice but here, education is different."

Marie Claire said they are asked to prove their qualifications and experience.

But she said: "We are fleeing from our countries. We didn't have the proper documents.

"I left my family behind. I have three daughters. I don't know where they are."

'Struggle'

Irene Bourdouchenko, 25, recently qualified as an intensive care nurse in Israel.

She has been waiting for the NMC to consider her case for seven months.

Irene Bourdouchenko says she is frustrated she cannot work

Judith Hunter co-ordinates the North East project, which brings together healthcare professionals who are refugees or asylum seekers.

She said: "These nurses come to this country as a place of safety, and then struggle to register with the NMC.

"I appreciate the need for patient safety, but there should be some mechanism by which we could fast-track people who are wanting to work - they want to give something to this country."

But a spokesman for the NMC said: "Whether people are refugees, asylum seekers, there are checks that need to be made before they can come onto the register, otherwise patients could be put at risk."

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