King's College London

Dr Dilla Davis, lecturer in nursing education at King’s College London and Dr Agimol Pradeep, liver transplant coordinator at King’s College Hospital, have been recognised by the Royal College of Nursing (RCN), the Nursing Times and the Health Services Journal (HSJ) for their successful campaign work to allow more internationally educated healthcare professionals to join the UK register, meaning they can work as qualified professionals in the NHS.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Dr Agimol Pradeep became aware of the experiences of internationally educated nurses who were not recognised by the Nursing and Midwifery Council as qualified nurses in the UK. She explained: “I realised that there are a huge number of nurses who have been in the UK for over a decade, working as unregistered practitioners despite trying multiple times to meet the English language requirements to achieve their registration. Living in this limbo of completing the UK nursing registration can have a huge impact on a person’s wellbeing, leaving them feeling invisible, undervalued and underpaid.”

Together, Dr Dilla Davis and Dr Agimol Pradeep led a campaign to successfully persuade the Nursing and Midwifery Council to implement the Supporting Information From Employer pathway, allowing hundreds of internationally educated nurses and healthcare professionals to achieve professional recognition in acknowledgement of their clinical skills and ability to safely speak English. For this, the pair have been shortlisted for the prestigious RCN Innovations in Your Specialty Award, the Nursing Times Dame Elizabeth Anionwu Award for Inclusivity in Nursing and Midwifery 2023 and the HSJ's NHS Race equality and Workforce initiative of the year awards.

Tracey Carter, Chief Nurse at King’s College Hospital said: “It is important to recognise the insight and tenacity shown by Dr Agimol Pradeep and Dr Dilla Davis to benefit international nurses across the UK to be able to be properly rewarded for their skills and contribution to the NHS. We are very proud that they are part of the King’s nursing community, supporting inclusion across the national workforce.”

Professor Irene Higginson, Executive Dean, Faculty of Nursing, Midwifery & Palliative Care said: "We are hugely proud of the work Dr Dilla Davis and Dr Agimol Pradeep have done to champion internationally trained nurses across the UK. By combining evidence, research, education and perseverance with building a community of international nurses, they have helped to support a more inclusive NHS workforce and to address nursing workforce shortages. This is a vital contribution to the NHS long term workforce plan, to help alleviate some of the workforce challenges and ensure we have skilled and dedicated healthcare practitioners.”