An NHS recruitment event in north Cumbria attracted more than 120 attendees from across the country this weekend and has resulted in over 40 job offers so far to services across the county.

Nurses, midwifes, paramedics, and those considering the professions were invited to explore their career options at the event in Carlisle on Saturday. Cumbria Partnership NHS Foundation Trust (CPFT), North Cumbria University Hospitals NHS Trust (NCUH), North West Ambulance Service NHS Trust (NWAS) and the University of Cumbria all joined forces to hold the event for people at all stages of their career.

Almost 50 attendees who applied for roles in advance were interviewed on the day and more than 40 of those have been offered jobs within the three trusts so far. More than 30 considering studying to become a nurse, midwife or paramedic also attended and met with University of Cumbria to find out more about their options.

Amanda Dunkley, Head of Attraction, Agency & Bank for CPFT and NCUH, organised the event and said:

“This is the fifth recruitment event we have held and it is by far the biggest to date. The turnout was fantastic and I’m thrilled that we were able to make so many offers on the day. It’s great that people are hearing about all the opportunities we have in Cumbria and working together as one team has put us in a really strong position.”

Some of the attendees explained why they are interested in a career in Cumbria:

Sophie Stanier, final year paramedic student at Staffordshire University, said:

“I currently live and study in Stoke but I would like to relocate to Cumbria. It is a beautiful place to live and I would like to work for NWAS because they work closely with the hospital which is an attractive role to work both out in the community as a paramedic and in the hospital to see things from both sides.”

Rosie Mahoney, third year student nurse at Northumbria University, said:

“I live in Newcastle but I am from Workington and I would like to move back to Cumbria to work at West Cumberland Hospital. I started as a nursing cadet at Lakes College so I have already done some work experience at West Cumberland Hospital and the new building is amazing. I would like to work on the surgical ward or in intensive care.”

Bethany Graham, third year student mental health nurse, said:

“I study at the University West of Scotland and live in Annan. I have read up on CPFT and I like the values it has which appealed to me. I would potentially like a role at Oakwood, Carleton Clinic when I graduate.”

Chris Saxton is a qualified paramedic and has been impressed by the career development opportunities in Cumbria:

“I currently work down in Suffolk but I am looking to return to Cumbria where I grew up. There are no mountains in Suffolk which I miss and NWAS is doing a lot in terms of developing career pathways. I would like to be an advanced care paramedic so getting a job with NWAS is a great stepping stone to achieving this.”

Caroline Hastings, operations manager for NWAS, commented:

“The buzz at the event was brilliant and working together is really paying off. People are hearing about our exciting roles and want to come and work here in Cumbria. We had some great conversations with attendees about how they can grow their careers here and look forward to welcoming more recruits to the team.”

Those considering studying with University of Cumbria went along to meet current health professionals, tutors and students for guidance on applying and an insight into the courses and professions.
Louise Nelson, Head of Nursing, University of Cumbria added:

“We were delighted with the spectacular turnout at Saturday’s event and hope everyone got the advice they required. We urge others considering a career in nursing to come along to one of our university open days to understand the range of routes into nursing available to them.”

Anyone interested in applying for a job at one of the three trusts can do so via NHS Jobs: www.jobs.nhs.uk 

Details of the University of Cumbria open days are available at: https://www.cumbria.ac.uk/study/open-events/