Wednesday, July 12^th, 2023: The International Institute of Health Sciences (IIHS), Sri Lanka’s premier and leading healthcare education institute renowned for producing an eminent and qualified nursing workforce, recently signed a landmark Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with East London NHS Foundation Trust (ELFT), to provide them with qualified nurses from Sri Lanka.

Nurses who have completed the University of Coventry, Bachelor of Science (Hons) Nursing Studies or the Open University of Malaysia, Bachelor of Nursing Science (Hons) courses at IIHS are eligible to apply for this programme, to support the ELFT in delivering quality health and social care services.

The East London NHS Foundation Trust brings together mental health, community and primary care services across East London, Luton and Bedfordshire, pooling resources and much of London’s major mental health expertise to become one of the UK’s largest specialist NHS providers. In its role, IIHS will ensure nurses are provided with high-quality clinical training according to NHS standards, including meeting the vital English language competency requirements which are a pre-requisite for the recruitment of overseas nurses.

Speaking at the signing of the MoU, Dr. Kithsiri Edirisinghe, Consultant Specialist and Renowned Master Trainer who is also the CEO/Co-founder of IIHS said, “Throughout our close association with a number of Trusts in the NHS, we have understood the needs and standards required by the UK, which enabled us to enter into this historic agreement with the East London NHS Foundation Trust within a short span of time. We aim to train Sri Lankan nursing professionals in both community and mental health nursing, while securing job opportunities for them at the NHS UK. By providing the necessary training, skills and employment opportunities for local nurses overseas we are helping to bring much needed foreign exchange to the country.”

Tanya Carter, the Chief People Officer for the ELFT said, “We are very excited about this new partnership and how we can work together going forward to benefit both the ELFT as well as the nursing population in Sri Lanka. While on our visit to the IIHS Multiversity premises, we have been exploring how we can make the experiences of our international nurses the best possible. Thus, when they come to the UK they are supported, are able to connect with their communities, and can build networks that will support them through their career development.”

IIHS’s partnership with UK’s Coventry University, offering high-quality nursing education, provides Sri Lankan and international students with multiple study or career opportunities in the United Kingdom and beyond.