New allied health professional recruitment campaign targets talented teenagers and career switchers

Talented teenagers and career switchers are being encouraged to become NHS paramedics, radiographers and nurses, as part of a new national campaign launched today by Health Secretary Matt Hancock.

It is the first Government campaign to target vital allied health professionals, as well as nurses, who have been identified as priorities for the NHS to recruit in order to build the workforce of the future. It aims to make good on the pledge to deliver 50,000 more nurses and 26,000 more primary care professionals, including paramedics and physiotherapists, by 2024/25.

Students training towards the careers highlighted in the campaign will benefit from the new £5,000 annual maintenance grant to help with their living costs.

Extra payments worth up to £3,000 a year will also be available for specialisms that are struggling to recruit, or those with childcare responsibilities. This new funding package will benefit around 100,000 students every year.

Health Secretary Matt Hancock said: “I am in awe of the skill and dedication our NHS people demonstrate every day, and I’m determined to deliver on our commitment to have 50,000 more nurses and 26,000 primary care professionals in the NHS by 2025.

“From the split-second life-saving decisions made by paramedics to the cool calm analysis carried out by radiographers, everything they do is underpinned by talent, teamwork and compassion. It’s also one of the most rewarding jobs out there, helping to save and improve people’s lives on a daily basis.

“If you think you have what it takes, I encourage you to consider a career in the NHS as an allied health professional or nurse. From September this year, students will benefit from a generous new financial support package worth at least £5,000 a year.”

The Department of Health and Social Care campaign is aimed at teenagers preparing to apply for university and career switchers, as well as those qualified and ready to apply for vacancies.

Prerana Issar, Chief People Officer for the NHS said: “The NHS is extraordinary and as well as already being the best place to get care, I’m committed to making it the best place to work, through the NHS People Plan.

“As our health service continues to roll out our Long Term Plan and treat record numbers of patients it is vital that, alongside recruiting an additional 50,000 nurses, we champion what a fulfilling and varied career the NHS provides. We need to ensure we’re attracting the most talented and motivated people so we can continue to deliver the world class service our patients have come to expect.”

The drive is the latest phase of the multi-channel ‘We Are The NHS’ recruitment campaign which will use TV, cinema, video on demand, social media, paid search, radio and stakeholder engagement to encourage people to find out more about the careers and register to receive personalised career advice via email.

The campaign targets the Allied Health roles identified as being the most in need based on the NHS Long Term Plan and interim NHS People Plan. These are Occupational Therapists, Paramedics, Podiatrist, Diagnostic Radiographers, Therapeutic Radiographers, Orthoptists, Physiotherapists, Prosthetists and Orthotists. The campaign also targets all nursing roles.

Suzanne Rastrick, Chief Allied Health Professions Officer for England, said: “Training to become an AHP is one of the best choices I have made – they are roles that can take you to every part of the NHS and as far as you want to go, helping people at every stage of their lives. And as we deliver our Long Term Plan to improve services for patients across the country, there’s never been a better time to choose a career as an AHP in the NHS.”

The campaign site is gov.uk/nhscareers and the advert can be seen here.