NHS to get over £400 million Technology Investment

Matt Hancock is not wasting any time as the new minister for health promising £ 400 million for the NHS.

£400 Million NHS Investment

Less than a few weeks in his new role he is promising an investment of £400 million pounds in technology for the NHS. The objective of the investment is to improve staff workloads and patient care.

It is envisaged that with this investment in technology it will transform existing electronic systems and remove paper based systems making the NHS more efficient and furthermore reducing medical errors.

Mr Hancock has stated “From today, let this be clear: tech transformation is coming. The opportunities of new technology, done right across the whole of health and social care, are vast. Let’s work together to seize them.”

It will be interesting to see how MR Hancock deals with some of the broader issues including hospital waiting lists that are at a record high and the unprecedented number of patients left on trollies during the winter pressure months and no real solution on the horizon.

However some of Mr Hancock’s comments are promising as he has stated:

“I am determined that the commitment you show to your patients is matched by the commitment we show to you,” he told staff.

“In both health and social care I want your voice to be at the heart of government,” he said. “To make this happen I’m going to launch a consultation exercise on workforce issues. And I’ll be setting up a panel of clinical and professional advisers from a cross-section of the NHS and social care workforce.”

The investment in technology we are sure will be welcomed. However Nursing Personnel are seeing an increase in hospital temporary staffing requirements across the UK with no sign of this decreasing. As an approved NHS framework nursing agency we see first-hand the agency nurse jobs being released from NHS hospitals to be filled at short notice.

The consultation on workforce issue will be interesting however, The Independent reported in February this year

Thirty Thousand Nurse Jobs Vacant

“Quarterly data released by regulator NHS Improvement today, for the year to December, shows the 234 NHS trusts in England “employ 1.1 million whole-time-equivalent staff but that they have 100,000 vacancies”.

One third of the above vaccines, that being 33,300 are for nursing, and the number of unfilled positions is at a record high.

Nursing Personnel wish Mr Hancock the best of luck in his new role, but he definitely has his work cut out.

Nursing Personnel have an abundance of nursing agency jobs across the UK paying some of the most competitive rates available in NHS hospitals.

For more information visit click here or call us on 033 3043 6779

How will a new MP change the NHS and nurse retention

The NHS has a new MP in charge

Last week was a turbulent week in politics. The government had just issued its white paper on Brexit setting out its plans for non UK nationals to continue to work in the UK post Brexit. But how will this effect existing non UK nurses and nurse retention in the NHS?

As a result of Ms Mays plans to implement Brexit, we saw the resignation of Borris Johnson The Foreign Secretary and David Davies Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union.

With high profile resignations and positions need filling quickly, one of the longest running ministers for health was promoted to fill Borris Johnson’s shoes.

Nurse Retention is at an all time low

After serving as minister for health since 2012 Mr Hunt has left his mark on the NHS. However nurse retention is at an all time low in the NHS with more nurses leaving the NHS than applying for positions.

However a week in politics is a long time, and fast forward to July 2018 and Matt Hancock is now the man at the helm of the NHS. So what are his plans for the NHS?

With a promise of a £20 billion pound injection one could say he will been seen to make a difference quite quickly. However what the £20 billion will be spent on and where exactly the money is coming from is still yet to be confirmed.

Nurse Retention

Mr Hancock has gone on record stating “ Some things are very clear to me already,” adding “The doctors, nurses, porters, managers, leaders and other care workers are the people who underpin our great NHS and without you, we would have nothing. I have a message for you: I will work with you, I will back you and I will make sure you have the long-term plan you need. Every single person who works in the health and social care system – of every rank – has a part to play in improving the health of our nation.”

Reading between the lines this includes temporary nurses and agency nurses. Mr Hancock went on to state:

 “I love the NHS and I will always believe in it. And as Health and Social Care Secretary, I promise I will listen and learn and work with you, and will do everything I can to defend you and champion all the hard-working staff who make our NHS what it is today.”

Nursing Personnel wish Mr Hancock the very best in his new role as Minister for Health, and we hope his honours his commitment by listening to the nurses and agency nurses working in the NHS. It will be interesting to see how MR Hancock stops the huge number of nurses leaving the NHS and deal with the issue of nurse retention in hospitals across the UK.

By doing so he will get an idea of the current problems agency nurses are being faced with in the NHS. It might also be a good idea for Mr Hancock to engage with some agencies to see how nursing agencies can support and assist the NHS in filling specialised roles.

Nursing Personnel are an approved nursing agency on all 3 NHS nursing framework agreements across the UK would welcome an opportunity to give our input into the sector. For more information on Nursing Personnel click here.

EU Nurses working in the UK post Brexit

EU Nurses and healthcare workers will be relieved to hear the UK government has published its plan for EU workers living and working in the UK post Brexit.

As the NHS relies very heavily on EU workers there has been concern as to the workers right to work post Brexit. Potentially this could have had a huge impact of the NHS considering the number of EU workers supporting and working in the NHS.

Published figures have shown 62,000 working in the NHS including doctors and nurses are form the EU accounting for 5.6% of all NHS staff.

EU Nurses Working Post Brexit

Sajid Javid has said the government’s position is not to refuse settled status.

Mr Javid has stated:

All EU citizens and family who have been in the UK for 5 years will have to apply for settled status.

Once settled status is approved they can continue working and living in the UK indefinitely.

Any one that arrives in the UK before the 31/12/2020 but has not have five years residence can stay for 5 years at which point they can apply for settled status. This will also cover countries like Iceland, Switzerland, Norway and Liechtenstein.

Individuals from the Republic of Ireland will not need to apply for settled status.

The cost of an application will be £65 for adults and £35.50 for children.

Published figures have shown 62,000 working in the NHS including doctors and nurses are form the EU accounting for 5.6% of all NHS staff.

The above is encouraging for nurses looking for nursing agency jobs in the UK, or looking for permanent nurse jobs in the NHS. It will give nursing applicants peace of mind that their status in the UK will be honoured giving them job and work status security.

Nursing Personnel have a number of contracts with NHS hospitals and are recruiting EU nurses in all specialities for nurse jobs across the UK. If you are an EU nurse looking for a position and have six months post qualification experience and are registered with the NMC please feel free to contact us by registering on our website here 

Nursing Personnel is an approve supplier to the NHS on all 3 existing NHS Framework agreements.

NHS Recruitment Drive

Doctor and Nurse Recruitment

Nursing Personnel are delighted to see the NHS have committed to nurse recruitment and doctor  recruitment for the future.

The NHS has just launched its biggest recruitment drive in the history of the NHS. The NHS will spend £8 million trying to attract the younger generation to work in the public sector.

The NHS needs young nurses and doctors applying for the vacant nurse jobs across the UK.

It was widely reported that there are over 35,000 vacant nurse jobs throughout the NHS at the moment. Nurse recruitment as result is paramount to ensuring the NHS can provide the service patients need.

As an approved framework agency Nursing Personnel welcome the recruitment drive and see opportunities in working with the NHS to assist in filling many of the outstanding nursing vacancies.

Nursing Personnel are also delighted to see the commitment of the government to substantially increase funding to the NHS in the region of 20 billion pounds in the coming years.

Last month the Prime Minister announced the NHS budget would increase by 3.4% to £114 billion funded by a Brexit dividend.

The increased funding will be welcomed by all, however it is important the funding is utilised in the correct areas like front line staffing.

If you are a nurse or healthcare working and considering working in the NHS, Nursing Personnel have an abundance of flexible working options across the UK.

Nursing Personnel is an approved framework nursing agency and have first option on nursing agency jobs in almost all regions across the country.

We also have very attractive pay rates and can offer block booking and assistance with accommodation.

We are passionate about recruitment and can help find you the right agency nurse job.

For a full list of the geographical nurse jobs we have available visit https://www.nursing-personnel.com/nhs-nurse-jobs-uk/all-locations.html

End of Cap should bring more Nurses and Doctors to the UK

Nursing Personnel are delighted to see the relaxing of visa rules for overseas nurses and doctors.Under the old tier 2 visa rules a cap was set at 20,700 visas for all job roles.

Under the new rules doctors and nurses will be taken out of the rules for capping meaning there will be no restrictions on the number of visas hospitals can apply for when recruiting doctors and nurses from non EU countries.

40,000 empty posts for nurses across the UK

This will be welcoming news for NHS Trusts across the UK where NHS England had reported 40,000 vacancies for nurses  and 10,000 doctor vacancies in February this year.

With visa cap restrictions lifted Nursing Personnel expect to see increased overseas recruitment activity by NHS Trusts across the UK.

Nursing Personnel would also anticipate NHS Trusts using the NHS Framework agreements to tender for recruitment drives for medical staff from non EU counties. Nursing Personnel are an approved agency on all three NHS framework agreements. These include the Health Trust Europe NHS framework agreement, the London Procurement Partnership framework agreement and the Crown Commercial Services NHS framework agreement.

More nurses and doctors being recruited to fill vacant nursing jobs can only be good news for NHS hospitals and users of the NHS services. Hospitals across the UK are finding it very difficult to recruit clinical staff and any additional help like to easing of caps will be considered good news.

Nursing Personnel have an abundance of agency nurse jobs across the UK. To view the positions we have available visit our website and search https://www.nursing-personnel.com/nhs-nurse-jobs-uk/all-locations.html Nursing Personnel receive thousands of jobs daily and agency workers can be almost guaranteed work across the UK.

You can also down load our free App available for Iphone and Android or feel free to call our offices any time on 033 3043 6779.