The new NHS Reservist programme in Suffolk and north east Essex is being opened up to include anyone with an interest in working in health and care, including administrators, ward clerks and clinical support workers. We are looking for people who wish to work flexible hours and have a passion for working in a caring environment.
There are a wide range of opportunities available, including assisting people who are being discharged from hospital or as part of the ongoing NHS COVID-19 vaccination programme.
Anyone who has experience of working in a care environment is encouraged to register or if you have no experience but wish to gain basic caring skills training will be offered to support you.
Full training will be provided, and NHS reservists will be paid in line with the role they are doing. Support will also be given by existing full-time staff that they can ‘buddy up’ with before starting any role. Although time commitment will vary it is anticipated to be around 30 days each year.
Local hospitals and NHS services can then call on the ‘NHS reservist community’ depending on their staffing requirements and pressures in their area, creating a bank of extra resource for when it is needed.
Amanda Lyes, Director of Workforce for the Suffolk and North East Essex Integrated Care System, said: “Over the past two years of the pandemic former health care workers and volunteers have played an invaluable role in ensuring our local vaccination programme has been one of the very best in the country.
“As our NHS starts to rebuild itself, both locally and nationally, there’s now a need for NHS reservists to support that recovery.
“We ask people to help their local NHS regain the ground lost during the pandemic, and help to tackle the backlog and support the continued delivery of the vaccination programme.”
Anyone interested in registering should complete a registration form HERE and they will be contacted directly