Thousands of new jobs will be unlocked across the healthcare sector to make sure there are enough jobs for every newly qualified nurse and midwife in England, the Department of Health and Social Care has announced.
The Graduate Guarantee will ensure thousands of new posts are easier to access by removing barriers for trusts, creating a wealth of opportunities for graduates and ensuring a seamless transition from training to employment.
These new measures aim to tackle graduates’ concerns about job availability, after record numbers of people chose to study nursing during the pandemic, whilst fewer nurses and midwives leave the profession.
While this demonstrates real progress in health professionals choosing to stay and thrive in their NHS careers, it has created barriers in the workforce, with up to three times as many graduates as there are vacancies in some areas.
To address this, the government has committed to a comprehensive package of reform and support, which will see more healthcare professionals deployed across a wide variety of sectors, improving access for patients as part of our Plan for Change.
This package comes as a result of collegiate and good faith working between the government, the Royal College of Midwives, and the Royal College of Nursing, demonstrating that by working together, the NHS, patients, and staff all benefit.
NHS providers will begin recruiting newly qualified nurses and midwives before vacancies formally arise, with trusts supported to employ staff based on projected need rather than headcount, ensuring the NHS has the right number of staff to provide the best possible care to patients everywhere.
Additionally, every newly qualified nurse and midwife will receive the backing they need to succeed in their first role, which includes an online hub with important information and advice for those applying for roles.
Vacant maternity support worker posts will be temporarily converted to Band 5 midwifery roles, backed by £8 million to create new opportunities specifically for newly qualified midwives and further ease the recruitment strain.
“It is absurd that we are training thousands of nurses and midwives every year, only to leave them without a job before their careers have started,” said Secretary of State for Health and Social Care Wes Streeting.
“No one who dedicates themselves to a nursing or midwifery career should be left in limbo when their skills are so urgently needed in the effort to rebuild our NHS
“I am sending a clear message to every newly qualified nurse and midwife. We’re here to support you from day one so you can provide the best care for patients and cut waiting lists. This new guarantee will benefit nurses, midwives and patients, helping to build an NHS fit for the future as part of our Plan for Change.”
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