Be inspired - NHS Careers launches new design for website

NHS Careers has launched a newly-designed website - to provide even more user-friendly, relevant and stimulating information on careers in the NHS in England.

NHS Careers is a specialised service providing information on careers in the National Health Service (NHS) in England. The service consists of a 24-hour response line (0845 60 60 655), the newly-designed website and new literature, and supporting services for NHS employers, schools, colleges and careers advisers. The aim of NHS Careers is to operate and develop an enquirer-led, accessible and objective service providing information on NHS career opportunities in England.

Netting the best advice
A recent survey carried out by NHS Careers, via the website, revealed that 19% of people received the most practical advice on healthcare careers from the internet - a far higher percentage than all other sources of information including educators, work experience, family, friends or colleagues, careers fairs or careers advisory services.

Be inspired...
...by real life case studies of people working in the NHS. Among around fifty NHS staff featured on the new site are Consultant clinical psychologist with Salisbury community forensic service, Louise Fountain, who has spent all her working life in psychology because she is fascinated by people and by understanding the reasons for their behaviour; and ophthalmic technician, Emerson Priola, from Moorfield Eye Hospital, who says: For me, this is the perfect mix of working with machines and people. From school I had an NVQ3 in engineering, and Iím now using those skills to help people and make a difference in the community, which Iíd always wanted to do.

Be curiousÖ
Öexplore by career. A huge new section that details hundreds of different jobs and careers in the NHS. Divided into ten career groups, including health informatics, medicine, healthcare science and the wider healthcare team, each section covers íwhat do they do?í, as well as entry levels (including íhow to applyí information), training requirements, as well as pay and benefits and links to other useful organisations relevant to each career.

Be adventurousÖ
Öexplore by who you are. Not sure if there is a career in the NHS for you? Whatever stage of life and career youíre at, in this section youíll find useful information if you are thinking about changing career or joining the NHS later in life either in a clinical or support role.

Be up to dateÖ
Öwith regular monthly news updates and patient journey features linked to topical awareness campaigns or heath-related events. The journeys will focus on the often surprising range of individuals within the multi-disciplinary teams that care for people with different illnesses or diseases. This month links to the British Heart Foundationís Valentineís appeal, and March will feature early onset dementia, as part of Brain Awareness Week.

Be amazedÖ
...by the sheer number of pages on the new website. There are over 3,000 so there wonít be many questions that canít be answered about careers in healthcare with a simple click! On a monthly basis, over a million pages on nhscareers.nhs.uk are viewed, and the number of user sessions (visits to the website) is around 320,000 per month.

Be well readÖ
Öa whole new suite of literature is also being rolled out. These are free to anyone wanting to find out more about a particular type of career in the NHS. The ten career groups already covered are healthcare scientists, ambulance services, allied health professionals, medicine, dentistry, management, and health informatics.

There is also much more information about the many supporting roles in the NHS, showing people they can start work at a more junior level and work their way up through the NHS. In Spring 2007, new literature will be launched for nursing and midwifery careers, as well as for graduates.

You can call NHS Careers to order copies (0845 60 60 655), download all the fact sheets and booklets from the new website, or order hard copies on line.

Schools site on the way
Also in development, due for launch in Spring 2007, is a schools section of the website. This will help to ensure that even more young people consider the NHS as a prospective employer and build their educations and lives towards joining the NHS workforce of the future.