A recruitment campaign designed to specifically appeal to candidates from
minority groups has attracted more than 9,000 enquiries to the NHS.
The ‘We Need a Hand’ Campaign, by Guy’s and St Thomas’ Hospital NHS Trust,
ran for three months last year, and has led to more than 300 formal job
applications.
It was the first NHS campaign to specifically target a range of minority
groups and was designed to help increase the diversity of the hospitals’
workforce.
The hospitals serve the London boroughs of Lambeth and Southwark – where
more than 130 languages are spoken – and the trust says it is essential that
its staff reflect the area’sculture.
Terry Coode, deputy director of personnel, said the overwhelming response to
the campaign demonstrated the value of targeting the local community.
"We wanted people to feel that Guy’s and St Thomas’ were their local
hospitals and part of their community so that people who might not consider
working in the NHS would come and work for us," he said.
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At least 13 staff have been appointed as a direct result of the campaign so
far, including six clerical workers and four nurses.
The campaign included press, radio and poster advertisements and was funded
by a £204,000 grant from the hospital’s charitable foundation.
