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The campaign will help get 50,000 more nurses and 26,000 more primary care professionals working in the NHS in the next 5 years.

The Department of Health and Social Care campaign is aimed at:

• teenagers preparing to apply for university
• career switchers
• people who are already qualified and ready to apply for vacancies

It’s the latest phase of the ‘We Are The NHS’ recruitment campaign, which will use a mix of media channels including TV, cinema, video on demand, social media and radio to encourage people to find out more about the careers. People can also register to receive personalised career advice by email.

It’s the first government campaign to recruit allied health professionals. In particular it aims to recruit the roles most in need based on the NHS Long Term Plan and the interim NHS People Plan. These are:

• occupational therapists
• paramedics
• podiatrists
• diagnostic radiographers
• therapeutic radiographers
• orthoptists
• physiotherapists
• prosthetists
• orthotists

It also recruits for all nursing roles.

The campaign aims to help the government reach its target of 50,000 more nurses and 26,000 more primary care professionals working in the NHS by 2024 to 2025.

Students training towards the careers highlighted in the campaign will benefit from the new £5,000 annual maintenance grant to help with their living costs.

Extra payments worth up to £3,000 a year will also be available for specialisms that are struggling to recruit, or those with childcare responsibilities. This funding is expected to benefit around 100,000 students each year.

The NHS first launched ‘We are the NHS’ in 2018. Then the priority was to increase the nursing workforce and inspire the next generation of NHS nurses.

Over the last year the number of nurses in the NHS has increased by over 8,500.

The latest UCAS statistics show the number of people applying to study nursing at English universities has risen for the second year running, with 6% more applicants compared to 2019.

Health and Social Care Secretary Matt Hancock yesterday said:

I am in awe of the skill and dedication our NHS people demonstrate every day, and I’m determined to deliver on our commitment to have 50,000 more nurses and 26,000 primary care professionals in the NHS by 2025.

From the split-second life-saving decisions made by paramedics to the cool, calm analysis carried out by radiographers, everything they do is underpinned by talent, teamwork and compassion. It’s also one of the most rewarding jobs out there, helping to save and improve people’s lives on a daily basis.

If you think you have what it takes, I encourage you to consider a career in the NHS as an allied health professional or nurse. From September this year, students will benefit from a generous new financial support package worth at least £5,000 a year.

Prerana Issar, Chief People Officer for the NHS, yesterday said:

The NHS is extraordinary and as well as already being the best place to get care, I’m committed to making it the best place to work, through the NHS People Plan.

As our health service continues to roll out our Long Term Plan and treat record numbers of patients it is vital that, alongside recruiting an additional 50,000 nurses, we champion what a fulfilling and varied career the NHS provides.

We need to ensure we’re attracting the most talented and motivated people so we can continue to deliver the world class service our patients have come to expect.