NURSES and midwives from other European countries will have to prove their English language skills are good enough to work here under new rules coming into force today.

The Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) can now order applicants to take English proficiency tests if they cannot provide sufficient evidence of language skills, such as work experience in an English-speaking country.

Such rules are already in force for nurses and midwives from outside the EU.

Ensuring all nursing staff have acceptable standards of English is “fundamental to patient safety,” said NMC chief executive Jackie Smith.

The Royal College of Nurses (RCN) agreed that language competence is “crucial” for healthcare staff but said the rules should be scrutinised amid NHS nurse shortages.

Curbs on recruiting nurses from overseas were temporarily lifted in October as the profession was added to the government’s Shortage Occupation List.

Applications from outside the EU, Iceland, Norway and Liechtenstein are now being prioritised to ease pressure on the NHS after an agency staff spending cap was imposed by the government.

RCN head of policy Howard Catton said: “With an ongoing shortage of nursing staff in Britain and continuing reliance on overseas staff, it will be vitally important to closely monitor the application and impact of these rules.”

A King’s College and Southampton University study published last month suggests patients treated by nurses trained abroad are less likely to feel happy with their care.

The researchers claimed recruiting more nurses from overseas may “negatively impact quality of care.”