New way of recruiting health professionals

A new online job-board launched by the Nursing and Midwifery Council and the Internet Corporation will, it says , make recruiting health professionals much easier and save the NHS millions of pounds a year.

nmc4jobs.com hopes to revolutionise job recruitment for nurses, midwives and health visitors. They will register at no cost, setting out the sort of job they are seeking in terms of grade, specialty and location. Whenever a hospital, NHS Trust, nursing home or other employer places a job on the site, the specifications are matched with the people and potential applicants are automatically e-mailed details. The process will be quick, simple and effective. Application forms can be completed on line or, if CVs are required, these can also be attached. For nurses, midwives and health visitors, the days of trawling through hundreds of jobs in the hope of finding one that suits are over.

For employers, the prospects of quick and easy recruitment is mixed with the considerable savings they will make from their current newspaper and magazine advertising. Jobs on nmc4jobs.com will cost 200 plus VAT for one month. But as an opening offer, all jobs will be free until 31 December 2002. Given turnover rates among nurses, midwives and health visitors, which are as high as 35% in some areas, and the expected saving of some 1,000 a job, nmc4jobs.com will save the NHS millions of pounds a year.

Jonathan Asbridge, NMC President, said ìThis is a win, win, win situation. For practitioners, suitable jobs will be easier to find. For employers, recruitment should be more effective and will certainly be much cheaper. And for the NMC, (Nursing & Midwifery Council) we will generate much-needed income in order to maintain and improve the services we offer practitioners and the public.î



Mark Kieve, Chief Executive of the Internet Corporation, said ìWe have developed recruitment technology that is an industry leader. It has already proved a big hit with large companies in the private sector and itís now time for the public sector to benefit. Early feedback from hospitals, nursing homes and agencies indicates great interest, enthusiasm and support for nmc4jobs.com.î