Growing the NHS workforce from the UK

Margaret Mullane, Dagenham and Rainham MP, has given her strong support for an initiative launched by Government Health Secretary, Wes Streeting.

For too many years hospitals, including Queen’s and King George, have relied far too heavily on expensive agency nursing staff and recruitment from overseas to fill shortages on wards. To address this problem the government is introducing a graduate guarantee for nurses and midwives. This will mean that on qualification nurses and midwives will be given better job opportunities upon graduation with the new Graduate Guarantee.

Margaret said “This is such a sensible approach from the government, cutting back on international recruitment and agency spend to provide more jobs for homegrown talent in nursing and midwifery.

It will encourage young people to take up nursing degree courses at university. The new support for the graduates and hospital trusts should improve recruitment processes and ensure a seamless transition from training to employment in the NHS.

We know that a large part of the budget pressure that Queen’s hospital has faced is due to high spending on expensive agency staff. This move will be an important step in helping to resolve that problem and at the same time bring more UK citizens to become nurses and midwives.”