New NHS recruitment drive
The NHS has launched a new spring recruitment drive, but the Conservatives claim it is failing to tackle the key problems in the NHS.
The advertising campaign, launched by Health Minister John Hutton, is targeting primary care staff, midwives, radiographers and mental health workers.
Mr Hutton said: “We are confident that the new NHS Careers campaign will build upon the success of last year’s campaign, which enabled 94,000 people to find out more about working for the NHS in the 11 week campaign period.
He said that initiatives such as flexible working practises, access to childcare and an improved pay structure mean that working in the NHS is an increasingly attractive career. Mr Hutton added: “This will, in turn, lead to quicker treatment for more patients throughout England.”
James Johnson, chairman of the British Medical Association, said: “The NHS has a team of talented and dedicated staff but it needs even more people to join if it is to continue providing high quality services to patients. We hope that this campaign, along with other measures to encourage staff to stay in the NHS, will give a much needed boost to the workforce.”
The recruitment drive will include a television campaign and seven new press adverts depicting patients cared for by the NHS and the range of skills needed to treat them.
But, Conservative Shadow Health Secretary Andrew Lansley said that the recruitment drive failed to address the important issues facing staff.
He said: “Only by cutting bureaucracy and setting doctors and nurses free can we recruit and retain more doctors and nurses in the NHS.
“The critical shortage of doctors and nurses in the NHS won’t be solved by this recruitment drive. It’s a blanket campaign that may attract more unnecessary bureaucrats to an already bloated system.”
