ENGLAND – NHS hospital chiefs have today warned that ‘stringent’ immigration rules are preventing them hiring nurses to prepare for the winter crisis. Ten heads of leading NHS trusts have signed a letter urging the Home Secretary to help address the shortage by allowing foreign nurses to work in the UK. The lobby group, NHS Employers said immigration rules are compromising patient safety, cost controls and leaving a shortage of nurses and doctors at a crucial time. They estimate 1,000 certificates of sponsorship for nurses outside the EU would be needed within the next six months and ‘large numbers’ of applications had been rejected…[+]