Food and supplies to be provided for new nurses arriving in south Warwickshire from India

Food and supplies are being provided for the latest group of new nurses about to arrive in south Warwickshire from India.

In her report to the latest board meeting [December 2] of the South Warwickshire NHS Foundation Trust, director of nursing Fiona Burton explained that funding had been secured from Health Education England to recruit more nurses from India.

She said: “Currently we have two additional nurses arriving imminently with a further 15 in the next two months.

"We are also interviewing more over the coming months to recruit an additional 15 before the end of March 2021. Our on-going aim is to recruit 34 nurses from overseas each year.

“Restrictions around self-isolation following arrival to the UK is a challenge, but we have solutions in place to support all new starters with this.

"This includes supplying all food and supplies on arrival and providing increased pastoral support to ensure our new nurses have everything they need when they arrive.”

During the virtual meeting a matter was raised on behalf of David Gee, one of the trust’s elected governors.

He asked: “I note that a number of nurses have been recruited from India.

"While they all speak English does the trust ensure that their speech is not so heavily accented that patients with less than good hearing cannot understand them?”

Ann Pope, the director of human resources, explained that robust measures were in place to ensure that nurses were fit to practise and communicate.

She said: “Nurses recruited from overseas are interviewed in the same way as any other nurse would be so there is an opportunity for the interview panel to have a conversation with them.

"More than that, all international recruits are required to take an English language test which is both verbal and written.”

The meeting was also informed that it was hoped that 30 young people would link up as part of the Government’s Kickstart Scheme which is a funded programme aiming to help 16-24 year olds gain work experience as an employee which could lead to employment of an apprenticeship.