To ensure that the NHS delivers high quality healthcare at a local level, it is divided into a series of trusts:
Strategic health authorities monitor the performance of trusts within their region and develop plans to improve performance and increase capacity.
Primary care trusts (PCTs) assess local health needs and commission the services to meet them NHS trusts (or acute trusts) provide the hospital, out-patient and other services commissioned by PCTs to meet local population needs
Ambulance trusts provide services responding to 999 calls, transporting patients, and providing out-of-hours care in some areas
Mental health trusts provide specialist care for people with complex and severe mental health problems
Care trusts co-ordinate health and social care services for individual users Other local primary care services are provided through GP practices, NHS Walk-in Centres, NHS Direct, dental practices, pharmacists and opticians.
There are approximately 450 trusts in England. Broadly, jobs in the NHS can be divided into clinical and non-clinical roles. However, they all share the same focus: quality of service for patients and other users. Clinical roles include nursing, medicine, pharmacy, midwifery, healthcare sciences, as well as a range of allied health professions such as physiotherapy, radiography and counselling. Non-clinical roles include engineers, human resources / personnel, IT specialists, domestic service staff, finance and building services amongst many others.
It's simply about making the NHS better: leading change influencing supporting the nation questioning thinking differently and so preparing a world-class organisation for the demands of the future.
How can Europe’s largest single organisation reduce its impact on UK carbon emissions? How will the credit crunch affect the provision of healthcare services in the UK? These are exactly the sort of questions managers in the NHS are tackling.
The award winning Graduate Management Training Scheme at the organization promises to give future managers the answers via comprehensive training and development essential to preparing this world-class organisation for the demands of the future. Nationwide, the NHS employs more than 1.5m people. Of those, just short of half are clinically qualified, including some 90,000 hospital doctors, 35,000 general practitioners (GPs), 400,000 nurses and 16,000 ambulance staff.
The Graduate Scheme: The Graduate Scheme covers two years (two and a half years for Finance) and includes work experience complemented by an education and development programme. Specialist training is key and, in this first two years, you’ll be supported to achieve a post-graduate academic/professional qualification.
Once you have completed the scheme, your career will really begin, with a further two years of career support. What area? Individuals can choose to join the NHS scheme in Finance, HR, General and Informatics Management, where they’ll develop the skills essential to playing a leading role in the provision of world-class, patient led healthcare, and attain postgraduate and professional qualifications. And with placements available across England, there’s ample opportunity for individuals to impact on the NHS in their local area.
The NHS welcomes applicants from all backgrounds who have or are expecting at least a 2.2 degree. Postgraduates, mature students and those working within the NHS are encouraged to apply. Other qualifications may be accepted – please see the NHS website for eligibility criteria.
All NHS employers offer: A minimum 4 weeks annual leave increasing with length of service, paid sick leave increasing with length of service, and a range of other employment benefits