NHS England’s December 2025 figures put the vacancy rate at 6.7% — down from highs that felt unmanageable a couple of years ago. 100,165 open roles. 22,559 in registered nursing specifically, sitting at a 5.2% nursing vacancy rate. There has definitely been an improvement. But as many workforce managers will know, if you dig into...
At MHR, we have the privilege of connecting with amazing international nurses who bring their unique perspectives and experiences to the UK healthcare landscape. Today, we’re excited to share insights from our interview with Ruchi, a dedicated nurse from India currently deployed at Buckinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust since January 2023. 1. The Allure of the...
Looking ahead, at My Healthcare Recruit it is our belief that international recruitment is only going to become more competitive. Not only are many more organisations within the UK adopting international recruitment as a core element of their workforce strategy, but globally developed countries have a shortage of healthcare staff and therefore the number...
One of the first things an international joiner needs to do on arrival in the UK is to open a bank account – they will need this to ensure they receive their first pay cheque and can operate effectively within what is fast-becoming an almost cashless economy. Traditional banks often struggle with international candidates...
One of the first things an international joiner needs to do on arrival in the UK is to open a bank account – they will need this to ensure they receive their first pay cheque and can operate effectively within what is fast-becoming an almost cashless economy. Traditional banks often struggle with international candidates...
There are two English Language tests that the NMC will accept from international joiners – the IELTS Test (International English Language Testing System) and the OET (the Occupational English Test). In recent years, despite the fact that the OET is more expensive, we have seen the OET rise in popularity because the language test is...
The Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE) Test is probably one of the most challenging elements of the nurse relocation process. For those unfamiliar, it is a ten-station face-to-face clinical examination that takes place in one of 6 test centres around the country: Ulster, Swindon, Oxford, Northampton, Leeds or Northumbria. Candidates are “presented” with various clinical scenarios...
Some employers ask us if all international candidates just want to come to London, because it’s the place they are most familiar with in the UK. In our experience, though London is always popular with some, unless candidates have family or friends in London already or are young, single and keen to make the most...
The time to hire from interview in arrival in the UK can vary based on a number of factors, but at My Healthcare Recruit we usually say 8-12 weeks is a fair estimate of the average timeline. Given many domestic nurse contract periods require 3 months’ notice for termination, the timelines between domestic and international...
There is no “one” relocation package for an international nurse, though there are many commonalities across different employer packages. Generally speaking, because such a high proportion of international nurses are economic migrants, it is simply not affordable for them to cover all the upfront costs themselves. Or if they did, the time from interview...
