Dr. Agimol Pradeep, of Indian origin and a liver transplant coordinator at King’s College Hospital, has been acknowledged by the prestigious Health Services Journal (HSJ) for her innovative campaign efforts aimed at improving the lives of healthcare professionals.
Her notable achievements include winning the award for “Workforce Initiative of the Year” and receiving high commendation in the “NHS Race Equality Award” category, according to a media release from King’s College Hospital.
In the UK healthcare system, persistent challenges such as nursing workforce shortages and ethical recruitment have been prevalent. Despite these challenges, thousands of internationally educated nurses have worked as unregistered practitioners in the UK, often overlooked for over a decade.
Dr. Pradeep took proactive steps to address this issue by leading a campaign to assist these internationally trained nurses in completing their UK nursing registration without language tests.
As a direct result of her campaign and subsequent public consultation in February 2023, the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) implemented the Supporting Information from Employer (SIFE). Within the initial five months, around 1,000 internationally educated nurses obtained their NMC registration. The ongoing impact of this initiative continues to integrate more professionals into the nursing workforce.
The HSJ awards panel was impressed with the transformative nature of Dr. Pradeep’s work, noting that it disrupted outdated policies and brought about substantial changes, ultimately benefiting colleagues and influencing processes on a larger scale.
Following the awards ceremony, Andrea Sutcliffe, Chief Executive of the Nursing and Midwifery Council, expressed her happiness for Dr. Agimol and Dr. Dilla, emphasizing how they challenged the NMC with a clear evidence base and compassion, fundamentally changing lives.
Congratulating Dr. Agimol, Professor Irene Higginson, executive dean of the faculty of nursing, midwifery, and palliative care, expressed immense pride in their groundbreaking work. She highlighted their significant contributions to championing internationally trained nurses across the UK, creating a more inclusive NHS workforce, and addressing nursing workforce shortages. This, she noted, is a vital contribution to the long-term workforce plan of the NHS, ensuring a skilled and dedicated healthcare practitioner pool.
