Bus adverts to attract recruits to West Suffolk Hospital

January 10^th, 2002

The West Suffolk Hospitals NHS Trust’s ongoing recruitment campaign entered a new phase with the launch of advertisements on four buses in Bury St Edmunds.

The adverts, which will run for three months, show eight members of staff from different professions currently working for the Trust.  A nurse, doctor, radiographer, porter, physiotherapist, chef, manager and laboratory technician  are all featured.  Media are invited to a photoshoot on Thursday 10th January, when the staff who appear on the poster will stand around the bus admiring themselves!

“We hope that advertising on buses will help to get the message across to the people of West Suffolk that varied and exciting career opportunities are available in the NHS,” said Jan Bloomfield, Director of Human Resources at the Trust.  “I would urge anyone who has considered a career in healthcare to contact us on 01284 713 702 to see what we have to offer.”

“As an employer, the West Suffolk Hospitals NHS Trust makes every effort to create an environment in which each member of our staff feels that their voice is listened to and their contribution appreciated.  We are working hard to implement staff-friendly employment policies such as flexible working hours, a Career Break scheme, a future on-site nursery and childcare vouchers.”

In a recent staff survey, two out of three people working for the West Suffolk Hospitals NHS Trust rate it as a good employer.  88% get satisfaction from their job, and 69% are proud of the quality of service that the Trust provides to the local community.

One of the biggest challenges facing many people today is how to manage the work/life balance. The Trust has been looking at ways to make it easier for staff to achieve a better balance and a major initiative is the introduction of a Return to Practice Course for nurses that provides the retraining, support and flexible hours necessary to enable people to return to the profession.

The courses run so far have resulted in over 30 nurses returning to full or part-time work at the Trust. The success has been put down to offering returnees a course that combines theory with practical experience, a choice of clinical placement, payment for clinical time and no charge for the course.