NHS recruitment drive in Luton to support working-class communities

People from working class communities in Luton will be among those supported onto the NHS career ladder, as the Government’s Plan for Change tackles rampant health inequalities and gets Britain working.

The government has confirmed a new pilot to support an initial 1,000 people nationally from groups or areas worst hit by unemployment into careers in the health service.

Luton will benefit from the scheme – with an aim to get people who have been through the care system, unpaid carers, neurodivergent residents and the long term unemployed.

Backed by £5 million nationally, the new pilot programme will teach important skills to support a move into the health and care sector, alongside support with job applications and preparing for interviews.

Participants may also have the opportunity to undertake a work placement in a local health and care employer. They could then move into roles like nursing support and pharmacy support roles, or infrastructure support roles, kickstarting  exciting, long-term careers within health and care.

Bedfordshire, Luton and Milton Keynes ICB and the Bedfordshire, Luton and Milton Keynes Health and Social Care Academy (hosted by Bedfordshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust) are supporting residents into careers in health and social care  – boosting the local workforce and supporting patients.

Health and Social Care Secretary Wes Streeting said:

“For too long, working class people have been boxed out of working in the NHS. As the largest employer in lots of towns around the country, the NHS should be acting as an engine of growth and employment within the very communities it serves.

“The 10 Year Health Plan is committed to tackling health inequalities – and we are hitting the ground running, making sure people in Luton, no matter their background, have a way out of the inactivity trap.

“Through our Plan for Change, we are delivering an NHS fit for the future and offering a ladder out of poverty and into work.”

Felicity Cox, chief executive officer of Bedfordshire, Luton and Milton Keynes Integrated Care Board, said:

“We’re delighted that we’ll be able to build and expand the work that’s already taking place in the local health and care system.  Better access to good jobs, including in health and care, helps build healthier communities.

“Our Stepping Into Health and Care Careers pathway has worked with 200 people to help them get into NHS careers.  20 have gone directly into NHS employment, 25 into work experience programmes and another 50 into further education or training.  There is a further group of around 25 people who have joined the Volunteer To Career pathway.

“The Bedfordshire, Luton and Milton Keynes Health and Care Academy, based at Bedfordshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, has developed strong partnerships with local Job Centres, adult education providers, councils and the voluntary sector, and we look forward to seeing even greater success in future.”

This comes as the 10 Year Health Plan, launched earlier in the month, outlined how billions of pounds will be allocated to areas that need the NHS most and transform the health service into a force for social mobility and local prosperity.

Boosting the health of local communities through the 10 Year Health Plan is as much about this Government’s growth mission as it is its health mission, and the move will help bring economic growth to areas across the nation which are most in need.