The United Kingdom Home Office has announced the removal of general nurses from the shortage occupation list, and retaining only those with specific field of specialization.

The new policy which will take effect on August 14, 2006, would mean that UK employers, both the NHS and independent health providers would have to satisfy first the resident labor market test before they can recruit general nurses from abroad. Employers recruiting general nurses will have to advertise any vacancies first and demonstrate to the Work Permit UK that they cannot fill the same with a UK or EEA applicant or that no resident nationals were considered suitable.

The new policy does not cover the following categories of nurses which were still included in the shortage occupation list: audiology, sleep/respiratory physiology, neurophysiology, operating theater nursing, clinical radiology, pathology, and critical care and will have no effect to nurses currently working in the UK.