Health carers invited to join the Professionals

25th March, 2003

Nurses, midwives and Health Care Support Workers wanting the flexibility of temporary work can join a new NHS-run "bank" service from April 1st.

NHS Professionals is a national service for all health trusts and the local branch will be run jointly by West Suffolk Hospitals NHS Trust and Suffolk West Primary Care Trust with offices at both the hospital and Stanton Health Centre.

.NHS Professionals will provide a pool of qualified people to support substantive staff.  A key feature for NHS Professionals staff will be access to continuous training to ensure their skills are kept up to date. They will also be entitled to other NHS employment benefits.

Jan Bloomfield, Director of Personnel and Communications at West Suffolk Hospitals NHS Trust, welcomed the new service. "Although the NHS is investing in more and better trained substantive people, there will always be a need for temporary staff," she said.

NHS Professionals is designed for the NHS and run by the NHS. Its management costs will be lower than commercial agencies and all savings will go towards patient care.

The new arrangement will mean Managers can employ temporary nurses, midwives and healthcare support workers from NHS Professionals knowing they have the right skills and qualifications to do the job".

The NHS offers many flexible work options to suit people's personal circumstances enabling them to maintain their skills should they want to return to full time work.

Anyone wishing to know more about joining NHS Professionals should contact Karen Giles at West Suffolk Hospital on 01284 713837 of Mary Hughes on 01359 251422.