04.03.20
NHS Providers: Recruitment campaign must align with other initiatives
As the government unveiled it's newest NHS recruitment drive, aimed at increasing the number of paramedics, radiographers and nurses among many roles.
Responding to the annoucnement, Deputy Chief Executive of NHS Providers, Saffron Cordery, has explained how the new campaign must sync with other initiatives.
Ms Cordery said: “We welcome the government’s new campaign focusing on shortage specialties in the allied health professions, who play an increasingly important role in patient care. This includes in the ambulance sector where staff are key to keeping people safe, particularly over a challenging winter.
“However, with the NHS facing 100,000 vacancies and increasing demand pressures, it is essential that this campaign aligns with a range of other initiatives to be set out in the NHS people plan to improve recruitment and retention across the NHS. We must not underestimate the resources needed and time it will take to train and fill these roles, and to respond to the range of contexts and market factors found across sectors and geographies.
“Additionally, the government must complement this work by ensuring timely additional investment in the workforce, including a solution to the current pension tax issue for all staff and an enhanced multi-year settlement for professional development.
"The impact of this campaign will also be limited without addressing the workforce shortages in social care, which potentially could be negatively affected by any changes to the immigration system.”