Coronavirus recruitment portal launched
Over 2000 former health and social care staff sign up in first 2 days
A new portal is now available to make it easier for former health and social care staff and final year students to sign up to support NHS Scotland and social care in the fight against Coronavirus.
This portal for professionals is part of the wider Scotland Cares campaign.
Many retired and former professionals have already come forward to their local health Boards. But now the Scottish Government has commissioned NHS Education for Scotland (NES) to build a portal which will give a national picture of people’s skills, locations and the kind of work they are able to do.
The ‘Health and Social Care COVID-19 Accelerated Recruitment Portal’, available at NHSScotland Careers is aimed at all kinds of professionals who have worked in health and social care in the past. With services under massive pressure, all kinds of professions are needed, for example doctors, nurses, midwives and allied health professionals, as well as social care staff who have worked in community and social care settings including care homes for adults, care at home services, day care and residential services for children and young people.
- NHS Education for Scotland will be managing all applications received through the portal and will be the employer for returnees and students deployed to NHS Boards, initially for 6 months.
- Actual deployment will be handled at local level, in line with priorities laid out by the Scottish Government.
- The Scottish Social Services Council (SSSC), Care Inspectorate and others will oversee employment and placement across social care organisations.
NES Chief Executive Stewart Irvine said:
“The people of Scotland need allied health professionals, biomedical scientists, doctors, pharmacists, pharmacy technicians, nurses and midwives to care for them now more than ever. And it’s wider than just the NHS: we urgently need more experienced staff in community and social care too.
“We’ve already had lots of expressions of interest at local level, but we need to be able to coordinate on a national scale. That’s why we’ve been commissioned to build this portal, and manage those who offer to help.
“COVID-19 is putting huge demand on the NHS, but by signing up to this app, people can make a real difference.”
SSSC Chief Executive, Lorraine Gray said:
“You may already be thinking about how you can help social services and care providers in your area to continue to provide essential care and support by coming back to work in social care.
“If you have experience, retuning to frontline social services will make a difference to so many people as well as supporting those people currently working in social services and those who can’t work due to the COVID -19 pandemic. We need people like you more than ever to fill vacancies now and beyond this immediate crisis.”
Reference: PR2020-002
Further Information from John MacEachen 07769 367632
Note to Editors
1. NHS Education for Scotland (NES) is a national health board working to support a skilled and sustainable workforce. NES provides education, training and workforce development for those who work in and with NHSScotland. Our analysis, planning and digital platforms support staff through their working lives. We also promote NHS careers in general and support the recruitment of professionals into Scotland. At any time NES is responsible for over 6,500 trainee healthcare professionals.
March, 30 2020