Nursing in the UK

... is an exciting an ever-developing field and the standard of care among nurses in the UK is second to none.

We at Potential Works understand that moving to a new country and adjusting to a new job and new social life can appear a little daunting to some.

This is why we have put together some information that will help you to settle in to your new surroundings and also your new nursing job:

Getting Started:

Once we have secured your ideal nursing job, we need to provide our client with certain information, so it would be a good idea to send through as much of the following as soon as possible:

Copy of Pin Card (Available after complete registration with the NMC (Nursing & Midwifery Council)
Provision of two up-to-date professional references
Photocopy of your passport
Current Police Clearance
2 passport photographs
Recent Hep B/C status

Work Permit

Potential Works will liase with the Hospital/Client on your behalf regarding the Work Permit, once you have had an offer of employment, however we do not offer any immigration advice. The work permit will be issued to you prior to you leaving your country with instructions on obtaining an entry visa from your nearest British Embassy. There is usually a charge for this, which varies from country to country. As Nurses fall under the Shortage Occupation Category in the UK, it means that work permits are easy to obtain and should take between 2-3 weeks to come through.

Salaries

Information on pay scales can be found here.

Opening a Bank Account

Lloyds TSB are currently working in conjunction with the NMC to provide a banking service for you. We will be happy to give you more details on this once you have secured a nursing position. You will need to bring along the following documents (some banks may not require to see all these documents but it may be useful to have them all at hand):

Headed letter from your bank, building society or credit union in your home country
Work permit
Proof of your current address (utility bill)
Passport
Offer letter of work in the UK

National Insurance Number:

You will need to get a National Insurance Number once you have started your employment. To obtain one you will need to contact the DSS department (Department Of Social Security) in the area where you live. An interview with one of their officers will be arranged and you will need to bring along your work permit, contract of employment and your passport. You will be issued with a National Insurance card, which you should retain. We are always happy to assist in the above matter, should you experience any difficulties.