Care Workers and Nurses: English Language
The question
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer of 3 February 2026 to Question 107160, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of English language proficiency requirements for registered nurses and care staff in NHS settings.
Answered by Karin Smyth
The Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) has published an accepted list of countries where English is a majority spoken language on its website. This is available at the following link:
This list is primarily based on the UK Visas and Immigration skilled worker visa list, which is available at the following link:
https://www.gov.uk/skilled-worker-visa/knowledge-of-english
Any variation from this list is based on independent evidence as to whether a country is majority English-speaking.
No assessment has been made by the Department of the adequacy of English language proficiency requirements for registered nurses and care staff in National Health Service settings.
As the independent regulator of registered nurses, the NMC is responsible for establishing the requirements that applicants must meet to demonstrate English language proficiency for registration.
It is the responsibility of NHS employers to assess the English language proficiency of nurses and the care staff they employ as part of their recruitment process to ensure workers have a sufficient level of English to carry out their role safely.
Verbatim has judged this answer against the question that was actually asked — answered, partly answered, or evaded. Sign in to see the verdict →