Ten NHS trusts in South West London are set to benefit from an online
recruitment system which is being piloted to fill 5,000 nursing vacancies in
the capital.
The trusts are members of the NHS South West London Workforce Development
Confederation (SWLWDC), which devel-oped the web-based system in a bid to boost
recruitment and retention.
The system, developed by Parity, will enable trusts to match available skills
to current vacancies for medical and care staff efficiently as they arise.
Healthcare staff can also use it to search for career opportunities, and
will receive e-mail prompts when suitable jobs become available.
Assistant director of workforce development for the SWLWDC, Jane Tobin, said
the initiative will help trusts recruit for all positions, from consultants to
hospital porters.
She believes it will aid retention by providing a clear picture of all the
career opportunities available.
"We have tried to develop a system that encompasses recruitment and
retention while providing a career pathway, so we can really develop our
workforce in South West London," she said.
Tobin added the response from the trusts had generally been very positive,
although some concerns had been raised.
"There have been some reservations over whether this system means
changing current HR practice for recruitment and retention of staff," she
said.
Tobin said some degree of effective change management must be implemented to
ensure the new service was effectively used by trusts’ HR departments.
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"Staffing issues in the NHS are notoriously problematic and
time-consuming, so a system that allows us added time to provide a more
comprehensive service to our patients is of substantial benefit," she
said.
