The NHS is reminding people of all working ages of the opportunity to build a career in supporting patients on their journey back to health through the role of Healthcare Support Worker.

This week (16 to 20 October) the NHS in the North East and Yorkshire is celebrating the role of Healthcare Support Worker by sharing the stories of those who’ve been attracted to the position through a sense of purpose, and showcasing the positive impact they make on patients’ lives.

Healthcare Support Workers carry out a range of important roles including healthcare assistant, nursing assistant, theatre support worker, and maternity support worker. They play a vital part in providing excellent care to patients in NHS settings such as hospitals, GP practices, in the community, and people’s homes.

They take patients’ medical observations including temperature, pulse, respiration and weight. They also help patients with social and physical activities, personal care, mobility, at meal times, booking appointments and other tasks.

In the North East and Yorkshire more than 26,000 Healthcare Support Workers deliver NHS services. In the past year, more than 6,000 people have joined NHS organisations in this region in healthcare support roles, 2,700 of whom were new to the health sector.

Margaret Kitching, Regional Chief Nurse, NHS North East and Yorkshire, said:

“One of the ambitions of the Healthcare Support Worker programme is to recruit people wishing to start a career in the NHS from outside the health and care sectors. The NHS seeks to attract people at all stages of their working lives who have transferable skills and experiences.

“In recent years people have become Healthcare Support Workers from sectors including retail, hospitality, small businesses and airline cabin crew. The role has also attracted people seeking to change career in mid-life or after early retirement.

“Currently, some students are finalising their choices before entering further or higher education, and I would also encourage them to consider this role as a gateway to a career in the NHS.”

The Healthcare Support Worker role can lead to range of NHS career opportunities including nursing associates and midwives, Ms Kitching added.

Staff profiles: four NHS staff from across North East and Yorkshire explain how the role of Healthcare Support Worker launched their NHS careers:

• North East and North Cumbria: Matthew Diment, Newcastle Upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust,
• South Yorkshire: Lucia Mangena, Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust,
• West Yorkshire: Ebenezer Kobina Drokow, Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust,
• Humber and North Yorkshire: Jo Inglis, Humber Teaching, NHS Foundation Trust.

Read more profiles of NHS staff in the North East and Yorkshire on our Healthcare Support Workers regional information webpage.

For more information, and to register your interest, visit the Healthcare Support Workers page of the NHS Careers website.

• This week NHS senior nursing and midwifery managers will visit several trusts in the region to congratulate Healthcare Support Workers and Maternity Support Workers whose support for patients and their families has been recognised through the Chief Nursing Officer and Chief Midwifery Officer’s Excellence Awards. Visits are planned at trusts including Bradford Teaching Hospitals, Sheffield Children’s Hospital and North Cumbria Integrated Care.