Recruitment of nurses from home and abroad continues

East Sussex Healthcare NHS Trust is continuing to recruit more nurses from both home and abroad to work at Eastbourne DGH, Conquest Hospital and in the community.

The recruitment overseas is in response to a national shortage of trained nurses which has led the government to temporarily change the restrictions on nurse recruitment from outside the European Union.

Nine nurses recruited from Europe are due to start work in East Sussex this month, with a further eleven arriving during April and May.  Thirteen nurses recruited through a visit to the Philippines late last year will also start work in April, with a further 22 nurses to follow in June.  A successful recruitment trip to Croatia earlier this month saw 23 job offers made to qualified nurses, who are expected to begin work in May.  Return recruitment visits to both Croatia and the Philippines are planned, together with telephone interviews of candidates in Europe.

Twenty newly qualified nurses have also been welcomed, having recently completed their training.  Of this group, 13 will be working at Conquest Hospital, five at Eastbourne DGH and two will be joining community teams.

The overseas recruitment has been supported by agencies, who undertake the preliminary vetting stage.  Those who pass the selection process are then interviewed to make sure they have the relevant experience and English language skills and demonstrate the Trust’s values in their behaviour.

Alice Webster, Director of Nursing for East Sussex Healthcare NHS Trust, said: “Over the last few years we have significantly increased the number of nurses we employ but, like many other trusts, we have reached a point where we cannot recruit enough nurses from this country and so have started to recruit from abroad.

“The nurses we are currently recruiting will help us to maintain patient safety and ensure that we continue to provide the highest possible quality of care for our patients.  I look forward to welcoming them all as they begin their employment with us over the coming months.”