Safety first: Mobility of health care workers in the EU

The key finding of this report is that the Mutual Recognition of Professional Qualifications Directive, which governs the mobility of healthcare professionals within the EU and is currently under review, strikes the wrong balance between allowing healthcare professionals to work in other EU countries and ensuring the safety of patients. The rules pose an unacceptable risk to the safety of patients. The Committee recommends that: regulatory bodies should be allowed to test the language skills of all non-UK applicants; an alert mechanism should be implemented so that authorities can share fitness to practice information and warn each other about practitioners who have been subject to disciplinary proceedings; the list of qualifications and skills recognised by the EU Directive must be updated.

United Kingdom: House of Lords: Select Committee on the European Union: 22nd Report (2010-12)HL 201 http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/ld201012/ldselect/ldeucom/201/201.pdf

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