Overseas Doctors
Health
Nick Hurd (Ruislip - Northwood, Conservative)
To ask the Secretary of State for Health what rules and regulations govern overseas doctors who work in the national health service; who assesses the competence of overseas doctors; and whether that assessment is carried out by a (a) national and (b) local scheme.
Rosie Winterton (Minister of State (Health Services), Department of Health; Doncaster Central, Labour)
Overseas doctors who work in the national health service are subject to the same terms and conditions of employment as their United Kingdom (UK) counterparts. Like all doctors, before they can practise medicine in the UK they must be registered with the General Medical Council (GMC) and are subject to the GMC's standards of fitness to practise.
At present, for international medical graduates from outside the European economic area the first step is to gain limited registration. This will enable them to practise in the NHS in supervised employment. Before they can be granted limited registration they must provide the GMC with evidence of their medical knowledge and skills-passes at part one and part two of the PLAB test.