Bassetlaw Hospital's trust recruits 50 nurses from overseas to fill gaps in NHS

The trust that runs Bassetlaw Hospital has recruited 50 new nurses from overseas to fill gaps in the NHS.
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The new recruits for Doncaster and Bassetlaw Teaching Hospitals come as the trust looks to strengthen its workforce and resolve hard to fill vacancies, it said.

Predominately from India, the first cohort of nurses sat exams in Northampton on October 18, and the second group on November 8.

A trust spokesman said: “Like much of the NHS, the Trust has benefited from overseas recruitment in the past to fill a variety of roles across all three of its hospital sites in Doncaster, Worksop and Mexborough.

50 new nurses from overseas are joining the NHS in Bassetlaw and Doncaster.50 new nurses from overseas are joining the NHS in Bassetlaw and Doncaster.
50 new nurses from overseas are joining the NHS in Bassetlaw and Doncaster.

"Recent data released has shown that there are around 38,000 full-time equivalent vacancies across the NHS in England for registered nurses, and despite innovative education programmes and other initiatives to fill vacancies locally, hospitals often need to look further afield.”

Between September 2021 and January 2022, the trust will have recruited 50 additional nurses, looking beyond the UK, to complement its workforce in theatres, medicine, and surgery.

Divisional director of nursing for surgery, Kirsty Clarke said: “Recruitment from outside the UK continues to form part of the long-term nursing strategy nationally and locally at Doncaster and Bassetlaw.

"This compliments the continued training and development of new and experienced nurses across the UK.

"This multi-faceted approach to registered nurse recruitment enables us to develop staff as well as allowing us to continue to recruit newly qualified and experienced nurses, particularly in areas that have proved hard to fill.

“Currently there is a gap in the nursing workforce and nurses that work abroad have significant skills and knowledge that they can bring to bear in this country. In return for this expertise, we want to support them every step of the way – ensuring they receive a proper Doncaster and Bassetlaw welcome, and wishing them a very happy and long career within the NHS.”

The trust said it will continue to recruit internationally beyond 2022 as part of its long-term plan.

Ms Clarke added: “We want to make sure that we support the international nurses to stay and thrive at DBTH.

"They come as a staff nurse with a variety of nursing experience already, but we want to ensure they have the same opportunities as others to continue to develop within the NHS and progress across a variety of nursing career opportunities”.