My wife is a Registered Nurse in the U.S. She moved to the UK about a year ago and has since passed the CBT (first stage to register in the UK) and was due to take and pass her OSCE (second and final stage) tomorrow. Due to COVID-19, this has been canceled. Very sad to know that in addition to the shortage of nurses in the UK, the UK is facing a great threat to its healthcare system with more demand than supply in the NHS. Sure, getting more people registered as soon as possible should be a priority in this desperate time!

What the UK government has decided to do instead of allowing Registered nurses With academic and hands-on experience from reputable countries into the register is to graduate students 6 months early without exams or test of competence and call formerly retired medics out of retirement making them more vulnerable to the virus. The logic seems irrational.

MP Matt Hancock also appealed for 250,000 volunteers to help the NHS while 11, 000 former medics answered the government’s call to return to NHS, this act of service is incredible but we are also putting them at risk.

24,000 final year student nurses and medics are set to join the health service with no prior experience and without their final test, but knowing fully well that we have experienced nurses that have the willingness and the experience to help at this trying times. The country is calling for solidarity at this time and I think it is time for the government and the health system to put faith in very experienced nurses from overseas. The more hands we can get, the more chances we have in beating this deadly disease

The message is simple and clear. Allow overseas registered nurses from reputable countries within the UK to assist the NHS workforce in these times where it is absolutely crucial to have enough supply of nurses to meet the demands of the UK people to combat COVID-19 effectively and efficiently.

Sign this petition and share it with as many people as you can. Let us support the NHS and beat COVID-19 together!