Important note: Information in this article was accurate in 2002. The state of the art may have changed since the publication date.
BBC News - Sunday, 8 December, 2002
The move has been prompted by fears that, as tens of thousands of overseas doctors and nurses are recruited, hundreds may be carrying HIV.
A consultation paper will be published in the new year detailing plans for the testing programme, the Sunday Telegraph says.
All new medical staff will be tested to eliminate accusations of prejudice against countries in which HIV is rife, it reports.
Hundreds infected
If the prevalence of HIV in various countries worldwide is taken into considered, it is estimated that more than 700 HIV-positive nurses from abroad came to work in the NHS last year.
This could even be an underestimate, as, in countries such as South Africa, prevalence rates are higher among women.
In contrast, statistics suggest that among 14,000 British recruits there would be an estimated 14 who were HIV positive.
The government needs many thousands more nurses and hundreds more doctors from overseas to fulfil ambitious recruitment targets that are vital to the success of its NHS Plan.
The biggest number of overseas nurse recruits in 2001 came from the Philippines, where there is a very low rate of HIV, but South Africa came second - and one in five of its population carries the virus.
Language test
However, sub-Saharan Africa has endured the brunt of the world HIV epidemic.
Almost 500 overseas recruits came from Zimbabwe in 2001, where one in three people carry the virus, and 100 from Botswana, where the prevalence is almost 40%.
In 2001, approximately 2,000 doctors passed the final stage of a UK assessment test which checks whether an overseas doctor's written and spoken English is up to scratch.
A more detailed breakdown of country of origin of these doctors is not available.
021208
BB021208
Copyright © 2002 - BBC. Reproduction of this article (other than one copy for personal reference) must be cleared through the BBC.
AEGiS is a 501(c)3, not-for-profit, tax-exempt, educational corporation. AEGiS is made possible through unrestricted funding from Boehringer Ingelheim, Bridgestone/Firestone Charitable Trust, Elton John AIDS Foundation UK, the National Library of Medicine, AIDS Walk of Orange County, and donations from users like you.
Always watch for outdated information. This article first appeared in 2002. This material is designed to support, not replace, the relationship that exists between you and your doctor.
AEGiS presents published material, reprinted with permission and neither endorses nor opposes any material. All information contained on this website, including information relating to health conditions, products, and treatments, is for informational purposes only. It is often presented in summary or aggregate form. It is not meant to be a substitute for the advice provided by your own physician or other medical professionals. Always discuss treatment options with a doctor who specializes in treating HIV.
Copyright ©1980, 2002. AEGiS. All materials appearing on AEGiS are protected by copyright as a collective work or compilation under U.S. copyright and other laws and are the property of AEGiS, or the party credited as the provider of the content.
.