title: Medical migration within Europe: opportunities and challenges.
abstract: The free movement of European citizens to live and work within the European Union (EU) is one of the fundamental pillars of the European single market. Recent EU legislation on the recognition of professional qualifications (to take effect January 2016) updates the framework within which doctors and others can migrate freely between EU member states to practise their profession. UK organisations lobbied extensively to change aspects of the original proposals, in particular those that threatened to 'water down' public protection in the interest of free movement. The legislation finally adopted significantly increases safeguards for patients and the public. The revised law covers the rules to be applied by regulators on (for example) assuring language competence, warning 'blacklists' of practitioners subject to sanctions, 'fast track' registration based on mutual recognition of professional qualifications, agreed minimum education and training requirements for mutual recognition, and encouragement of continuing professional development. Drafting of detailed secondary legislation is ongoing and poses opportunities and challenges for patient safety, quality of care and transparency.
authors.affiliation: NHS European Office, Brussels, Belgium kate.ling@nhsconfed.org.
authors.forename: Kate
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Ling
authors.affiliation: Royal College of Physicians, London, UK.
authors.forename: Paul
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Belcher
mesh_terms: D002983:Clinical Competence / Q000592:standards; D003144:Communication Barriers; D004496:Education, Continuing; D004641:Emigration and Immigration; D005062:European Union; D006282:Health Personnel / Q000193:education / Q000592:standards; D006801:Humans; D061214:Patient Safety / Q000592:standards
keywords: Europe; continuing professional development; language controls; professional migration; professional qualifications; professional regulation