The NHS recruitment initiative: Improving access to work

About this event

Explore how the NHS is improving access to work for unemployed people and building a diverse workforce to strengthen care and opportunity.

Join us for this interesting online session where we will look at how the NHS is targeting and improving access to work for unemployed people.

The success of the National Health Service depends on employing talented individuals. As the largest workforce in Europe, recruitment is a huge priority.

Persistent understaffing in the past has taken its toll on quality, safety of care, patient experience and staff themselves. To address this, attempts are continually made to find employees from a range of diverse backgrounds. This not only keeps the NHS functioning but also fulfils the government’s mission to break down barriers to opportunities for under-represented groups and ultimately decrease unemployment in the UK.

Speakers bio:

Gayle Hennessey, Apprenticeship & Career Development Manager – Cumbria, Northumberland, Tyne & Wear NHS Foundation Trust

Gayle has 20 years of dedicated service in the NHS and is an experienced Apprenticeship & Career Developments Manager committed to supporting workforce growth, capability, and long‑term career progression. She works in a team that specialise in creating inclusive recruitment pathways, developing high‑quality apprenticeship programmes, and providing personalised career development opportunities for staff at all stages of their journey.

Throughout her NHS career, Gayle has championed talent development, strengthened partnerships with education providers, and supported managers to build skilled, motivated teams. Her work focuses on helping individuals realise their potential while ensuring organisational workforce needs are met through sustainable and innovative development solutions.

Please note:

1. Webinar joining instructions will be sent to you again 1 day before the event, with a further reminder, 20 minutes prior to the event starting.

2. The session may be recorded and shared with people afterwards. Please bear this in mind and have your camera off if you do not wish for your image to be shared.

3. The chat function will be used for participants to engage with the webinar, so just be mindful of the login name you use and ensure you are happy for other people to see this.

4. For security reasons, it is requested that participants join the live session 10 minutes prior to the scheduled start time and with the same name as registered on Eventbrite as not doing so may cause a delay or non-admittance to the event.

5. This event may include an external speaker who has prepared their own presentation. Any views or opinions expressed by the speaker are their own and do not reflect those of the CIPD.

6. If you require any reasonable adjustments to enhance your experience, please get in contact with us by responding to this email and we will do our best to accommodate.