Question & AnswerQ&A (POEA MEMORANDUM CIRCULAR NO. 005, S. 2000)
Professional Regulation Commission (PRC) registered Filipino nurses who may qualify for deployment as registered nurses in hospitals and nursing homes in the UK.
Only hospitals and nursing homes authorized to conduct supervised training are allowed to recruit Filipino nurses.
They must submit a Special Power of Attorney, manpower request, master employment contract with specified provisions, proof of approval to conduct supervised training, and business license/registration/articles of incorporation or equivalent document.
The contract must stipulate the position of adaptation nurse during the adaptation period and registered nurse upon UKCC registration; basic salary details; payment of nurses' airfares by the employer; repatriation of nurses’ remains and property in case of death; just causes for termination; and applicability of UK laws in contract implementation.
The requirements include revocation of the Special Power of Attorney granted to the former agent, notice of revocation to the former agent, application for transfer of accreditation by the new agent, and an affidavit of assumption of responsibility by the transferee Philippine agent.
Dual accreditation may be allowed if there is an urgent deployment of 200 or more nurses, or in the recruitment of highly specialized categories, with appropriate verification by the Philippine embassy.
The necessary documents include a request for processing, an individual employment contract based on the approved Master Employment Contract, and work permit/entry visa.
Name hiring is allowed if the employment contract and business license/regulation of the employer are authenticated and verified by the Philippine Embassy after notarization and legalization by the FCO. The employer must also show proof of approval to conduct supervised training, and the POEA administration may allow limited name-hiring on initial deployment.
The embassy must be informed by principals or employment agencies about the nurses' arrival, be given opportunities to visit nurses at the start of their adaptation period, and conduct regular monitoring visits thereafter.
Advertisements may only be allowed upon submission by the local agency of the manpower request of its prospective principal, authenticated and verified by the Philippine embassy, and notarized and legalized by a Commissioner of Oaths in the UK and the Foreign Commonwealth Office.