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United Kingdom Central Council for Nursing, Midwifery and Health Visiting,
23 Portland Place,
London,
W1N 4JT


Information Bulletin for Registered General Nurses and Registered Midwives whose names are on that part of the Professional Register of the United Kingdom Central Council for Nursing, Midwifery and Health Visiting, who are considering seeking recognition of that qualification by the Competent Authority of another Member State of the European Community.

1. Recognition of the Registered General Nurse qualification by other Member States is governed by EEC Directives 77/452/EEC and 77/453/EEC, which were implemented on 29 June 1979. Recognition of the Midwife qualification is governed by EEC Directives 80/154./EEC and 80/155/EEC which were implemented on 1st January 1983.

2. These Directives apply to Registered General Nurses and Midwives who are nationals of a Member State and trained and qualified in a Member State. It is for the Council to decide whether a particular applicant meets the requirements that these Directives impose.

3. Broadly speaking General Nurses who qualified before, or whose training was in progress on, 29 June 1979, will be eligible for recognition under the terms of EEC Directive 77/452/EEC. Those whose training commenced on or after that date should be eligible under the terms of EEC Directive 77/453/EEC by virtue of the training syllabus that was introduced at that time.

4. The required "additional certificate" will generally be issued for nurses if either:
a) the training programme, is considered to satisfy all the training requirements of the syllabus defined in Directive 77/453/EEC; or
b) the applicant qualified prior to 29 June 1979 and has had at least three years experience as a general care nurse since qualifying, and in the five years prior to making application for recognition. These duties must have included responsibility for the planning, supervision and carryout of the care of patients. (Directive 77/452/EEC); or
c) the applicant, though without the three years of experience specified to in (b), was undergoing a course of training on 29 June 1979, that was approved by this Council. (Directive 81/1057/EEC).
The "additional certificate" maybe issued for midwives when either:-

(a) A midwife who trained in the UK as a result of initial entry into the midwifery training, who is not a registered nurse in general care has completed a three year midwifery training under the specified syllabus, or
(b) A midwife who completed an eighteen month course of training by virtue of being a first level nurse registered in general care has completed one year of post qualification midwifery experience since the date of gaining her midwifery qualification.

Applicants who have been issued with this additional certificate and meet any other requirements (see paragraph 5), are then in a position to approach the competent authority in the country in which they intend to seek recognition.

5. Directives 77/452/EEC and 80/154/EEC permit the competent authorities of Member States to impose certain requirements in addition to those referred to above (ie proof of good character and good repute, certificates of physical and mental health) but these vary from country to country. You will be given specific advice about the additional requirements of any particular Member State if you approach this Council and indicate your intention to seek recognition in another country of the Community.

6. Information in respect of the designated competent authorities in the other Member States of the European Community is available at the Council.

7. if you are a Registered General Nurse or a Midwife and are considering seeking recognition in any other country of the European Community you should write for the appropriate set of instructions and documents to:-
UKCC Register Control,
United Kingdom Central Council for Nursing, Midwifery and Health Visiting,
23 Portland Place,
London,
W1N 4JT
Telephone: 020 7637 7181 Fax: 020 7436 2924

8. Some Registered General Nurses may wish to travel to another EEC country for a temporary stay for the purpose of providing a nursing service (eg for a particular patient in temporary residence, or in support of a medical practitioner, etc) rather than seek nursing employment. Provided they give the notice required by Article 11 of Directive 77/452/EEC, and comply with the requirements of the same Article, they will be exempted from the requirement to register with the competent authority in that country.

9. If you possess the RGN or RM - qualification but you are not a British national, or you obtained the qualification by virtue of having done some or all of your training outside the United Kingdom, you cannot benefit from the Directives which confer freedom of movement. However, you may still apply to be recognised by writing to the competent authority in the country concerned. If you have any general questions prior to obtaining the instructions and documents referred to in paragraph 7 please contact the Register Control Section of the UKCC at:-
23 Portland Place,
London,
W1N 4JT
Telephone: 020 7637 7181 Fax: 020 7436 2924

Official UKCC website @ www.ukcc.org.uk



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