A detailed action plan to help increase job opportunities for newly qualified healthcare professionals has been published.
The plan has been put together jointly by the NHS trade unions, the Department of Health and NHS Employers through the newly-formed Social Partnership Forum.
It makes a series of suggestions as to what NHS, social care, local government, independent and voluntary sector employers and higher education institutions can do to identify employment opportunities for new healthcare professionals.
The action plan includes:
- the creation of talent pools of all new qualifiers seeking their first post through the use of the NHS Jobs website
- employers to work with strategic health authorities to indicate the expected number of new qualifiers that will need to be employed
- career advisers to offer each qualifying healthcare professional support in their career planning
- NHS trusts are to encourage new graduates to apply for entry posts rather than stipulating set amounts of experience
- employers to work with trade unions to develop keeping-in-touch schemes with opportunities for work shadowing for newly qualified heathcare professionals.
Health minister Lord Hunt said: “I am encouraged by the response of many employers in helping ensure new qualifiers are supported. There is much work to do but this report provides a number of options to help those who have made a significant personal commitment in undertaking training.”
Sian Thomas, deputy director of NHS Employers, said: “The availability of jobs varies greatly nationally so the key is in employers working together with partners locally to find their own solutions to their particular challenges.”
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The progress of the plan will be monitored through the Social Partnership Forum and it will formally review its success in six months’ time.
