Registering to work in UK healthcare — your questions answered
To practise in the UK, every internationally-qualified clinician must be registered with the regulator for their profession — the GMC for doctors, the NMC for nurses and midwives, the GPhC for pharmacists, and the HCPC for the allied health professions. This hub answers the most common questions — the routes, the English-language tests, the fees and NHS pay — in short, source-cited answers, and links you to the full pathway guide for each profession. Reviewed July 2026.
Quick answer
- Doctors
- Regulated by the GMC. Main international route: PLAB (PLAB 1 written + PLAB 2 OSCE).
- Nurses & midwives
- Regulated by the NMC. Route: the Test of Competence (CBT + OSCE).
- Pharmacists
- Regulated by the GPhC. Overseas route: OSPAP diploma + foundation training + registration assessment.
- Allied health
- Regulated by the HCPC. Route: international application assessing equivalence to UK standards.
Answers by profession
Doctors
General Medical Council
PLAB route, GMC registration, accepted English tests, timelines and fees for international medical graduates.
Read the GMC answers →
Nurses & midwives
Nursing and Midwifery Council
The Test of Competence (CBT + OSCE), English requirements and registration steps for internationally-trained nurses and midwives.
Read the NMC answers →
Pharmacists
General Pharmaceutical Council
The OSPAP conversion diploma, foundation training year and the GPhC registration assessment for overseas pharmacists.
Read the GPhC answers →
Allied health professionals
Health and Care Professions Council
The international application route for physiotherapists, radiographers, paramedics, dietitians and 11 other protected titles.
Read the HCPC answers →
IELTS vs OET — accepted scores by regulator
Every UK healthcare regulator accepts either IELTS Academic or the Occupational English Test (OET), but the required score differs. No official page lists all four together, so here they are side by side. Regulators grant specific exemptions and revise thresholds — confirm the current requirement at each linked source before booking a test.
| Regulator | Professions | IELTS Academic | OET |
|---|---|---|---|
| GMC | Doctors | IELTS Academic 7.5 overall, minimum 7.0 in each of the four sections | OET Grade B in each of the four sections (Medicine) |
| NMC | Nurses & midwives | IELTS Academic 7.0 overall, minimum 7.0 in reading, listening & speaking and 6.5 in writing | OET Grade B, with a minimum of C+ in writing |
| GPhC | Pharmacists | IELTS Academic 7.0 overall, minimum 7.0 in each section | OET Grade B in each section |
| HCPC | Physios, radiographers, paramedics & other allied health | IELTS Academic 7.0 overall, minimum 6.5 in each section | OET Grade B |
Sources: each regulator’s official English-language requirements page (linked in the regulator column). Scores shown are the standard published thresholds; exemptions apply.
Cross-cutting questions
Which UK body regulates each healthcare profession?
Doctors are regulated by the General Medical Council (GMC). Nurses, midwives and nursing associates by the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC). Pharmacists, pharmacy technicians and pharmacies by the General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC). Physiotherapists, radiographers, paramedics, dietitians and 11 other allied health professions by the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC). You must be on the relevant register to use the protected title and practise lawfully in the UK.
Do I take IELTS or OET to register as a healthcare professional in the UK?
Every UK healthcare regulator accepts either IELTS Academic or the Occupational English Test (OET), but the required score differs by regulator. The GMC asks for the highest bar (IELTS 7.5 overall, minimum 7.0 in each section; OET Grade B in each). The NMC, GPhC and HCPC generally require IELTS 7.0 overall, with the minimum per-section score varying. See the comparison table on this page and always confirm the current requirement on your regulator’s English-language page before booking a test.
What does a newly-registered clinician earn in the NHS?
NHS pay in England follows the national Agenda for Change framework. Newly-registered nurses, physiotherapists, radiographers and paramedics usually start on Band 5 (about £29,970–£36,483 full-time, 2024/25), rising to Band 6 and Band 7 with experience and specialism. Doctors are on a separate medical & dental pay scale. Pay is renegotiated annually, so confirm the current figure with NHS Employers.
Which countries can UK employers actively recruit healthcare staff from?
The UK operates an ethical-recruitment framework. The UK Code of Practice, aligned with the WHO 2023 Health Workforce Support and Safeguards List, restricts active recruitment from 55 countries facing severe health-workforce shortages (the "red list"). Individuals from those countries can still apply independently, but employers and agencies must not actively target them. Registration pathways themselves are open to qualified applicants worldwide.
What visa do internationally-recruited healthcare workers use?
Most use the Health and Care Worker visa, a route of the Skilled Worker visa for eligible medical and social-care roles. It requires a job offer from a Home Office-licensed sponsor. Eligible health and care roles are exempt from the Immigration Health Surcharge. Application fees, salary thresholds and eligible occupation codes are set by the Home Office — confirm current details on GOV.UK.
Is GeraClinic recruiting for the NHS or acting as an agency?
No. GeraClinic is a telemedicine platform, not a recruitment agency. These answer hubs are general educational information for people who independently want to understand the UK registration pathway. GeraClinic does not recruit, sponsor, place or supply staff to the NHS, does not advertise specific vacancies, and never charges an applicant a fee.
Go deeper — full pathway guides
Sources & further reading
These are the primary, official sources for everything on this page. Where figures appear, confirm the current value at the source before relying on it.
- General Medical Council (GMC)
UK statutory regulator for doctors. Holds the medical register; you must be registered with a licence to practise medicine in the UK.
- Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC)
UK statutory regulator for nurses, midwives and nursing associates.
- General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC)
Statutory regulator for pharmacists, pharmacy technicians and registered pharmacies in Great Britain.
- Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC)
UK statutory regulator for 15 allied health and care professions, including physiotherapists, radiographers, paramedics, dietitians and occupational therapists.
- NHS Employers — Agenda for Change pay scales 2024/25
National NHS pay bands for England. Newly-registered clinicians typically start at Band 5.
- UK Code of Practice for the International Recruitment of Health and Social Care Personnel (DHSC)
The ethical-recruitment framework and the red / amber country list that restricts active recruitment from countries with severe workforce shortages.
- WHO Health Workforce Support and Safeguards List 2023
The 55 countries facing the most pressing health-workforce shortages, from which active international recruitment is discouraged.
- GOV.UK — Health and Care Worker visa
The immigration route for eligible medical and social-care roles with a Home Office-licensed sponsor, including the Immigration Health Surcharge exemption for eligible roles.