New measures will be introduced to allow NHS trusts to take on newly qualified nurses and midwives before vacancies arise, the Government has announced.
NHS providers will be able to begin recruiting before vacancies formally arise as part of a “graduate guarantee”, the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) said.
Its change to the recruitment process means trusts will be able to employ new staff based on projected need rather than current headcounts and is intended to ensure there are enough jobs for every newly qualified nurse and midwife in England.
The DHSC said the move will remove barriers from trusts and open up thousands of positions for newly qualified nurses and midwives in the NHS.
It said the package will also ensure the NHS has the right number of staff in hospitals across the country to provide the best possible care for patients.
Further measures in the “graduate guarantee” include newly qualified students receiving access to an online hub containing important information and advice for their applications to the roles, and an additional £8 million to temporarily convert vacant maternity support worker posts to Band 5 midwifery positions.
The package comes following talks between the Government, the Royal College of Midwives (RCM) and the Royal College of Nursing (RCN).
Record numbers decided to study nursing during the Covid pandemic, and fewer nurses and midwives are leaving the profession, meaning in some areas there are up to three times as many graduates as vacancies.
Health Secretary Wes Streeting said: “It is absurd that we are training thousands of nurses and midwives every year, only to leave them without a job before their career has started.
“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.”
The DHSC says it hopes the measures will spread healthcare professionals across a wide variety of sectors.
It cites that there are three times as many graduates as there are vacancies in some parts of the country, creating barriers for newly qualified healthcare professionals seeking jobs.
The Government claims the reforms will provide greater certainty and access to a wide and diverse range of roles, addressing this issue of bottlenecks.
Professor Nicola Ranger, general secretary of the RCN said the success of the scheme will be judged on whether more students are able to fill vacant positions in the NHS.
She said: “Our student members have led the way in calling for ministers and healthcare leaders to provide certainty and clarity on jobs.
“Today’s announcement is welcome news that should provide hope to students as they come towards the end of their education and training.
“When the health service urgently needs nursing staff, it was absurd to leave people in limbo.
“The test of this will be if students can find jobs, vacant posts are filled, and patients receive the care they deserve.”
RCM chief executive Gill Walton said: “We’re pleased that the Government has listened to the voices of student midwives who are desperate to start their career, only to find those opportunities blocked.
“I know today’s announcement will come as a relief to so many of the RCM’s student midwife members.
“These are people, mainly women, who have worked incredibly hard to complete their degree and are trained and ready to support our current midwifery workforce at a time when so many maternity services are under pressure.
“Ensuring we have the right midwifery staff, in the right places, at the right time with the right education and training has never been so crucial as services are striving to improve safety.”
