FEARS have been raised that ill-prepared overseas nurses risk making serious errors, after mandatory skills testing was lifted because of the Covoid-19 crisis.

Wirral-based nurses' training organisation, My Nurses Life has written to the Nursing and Midwifery Council expressing concern that some of them could inadvertently endanger life.

Helen Romnes, MNL owner, said: "There is no doubt that allowing overseas staff onto the NMC register without them first having to train here or pass the competency exam, called the OSCE, is not without risk.

"We have been training nurses from abroad for about four years and our experience tells us that some will struggle both professionally and emotionally if placed straight on the front line without having first passed the competency exam.

"Hospitals will be placing nurses on wards such as A&E and intensive care units possibly to find out too late that they are ill-equipped to carry out their role, compromising everyone’s well being.

"This is not fair to the patients or the staff.

"We have found that elementary, but serious errors were being made not only at the training classes, but also when sitting their subsequent OSCE exam at the universities.

"Nurses from the Commonwealth and elsewhere are like a breath of fresh air to UK hospitals and most are very professional with a pleasant and friendly manner.

"But, some are not ready for their roles in a UK hospital setting and it is imperative that they receive the educational support - ideally face to face - they need.

"Of course, this is currently difficult with disruption to the transport system and the public lockdown, but it is not insurmountable as our on-line OSCE training is now a viable option.

"Our courses are accessible to all nurses, including the return-to-practice nurses and could be readily introduced at NHS and private hospitals.

"We can also conduct Skype OSCE training classes to run alongside our existing online videos and subsequent tests.

"We can monitor and give full feedback on their online training and quickly send our recommendation to the hospital regarding that particular nurse’s ability and any skills and knowledge they are lacking.

"It will provide a valuable insight and reduce the chances of misplacement and inevitable errors.

"We are living in a time of a terrifying national emergency and we obviously need all the nurses we can get but it is imperative that they meet OSCE standards - for their sake and that of patients.

"I am obviously aware of the urgency to recruit more nurses but the on-line course only takes two days and the OSCE is a vital safeguard."