Overseas nursing recruitment

CapitalNurse International Recruitment Consortium

The CapitalNurse International Recruitment Consortium was launched in October 2020 across London to co-ordinate the recruitment of international nurses.

Part of the CapitalNurse programme, the service provides NHS providers with a single point of access for recruiting overseas nurses, allowing them to source the very best staff from multiple countries and agencies at the same time, reducing costs while upholding ethical recruitment principles.

The consortium supports NHS England and NHS Improvement and HEE’s plans to increase ethical international recruitment and build partnerships with new countries, making sure the supplying country benefits from the arrangement as well as the individual health worker and the NHS.

This is the first time that London NHS providers have come together in this way to jointly procure and manage international recruitment.

The programme is being serviced through a website and portal: www.capitalnurselondon.co.uk. The website provides information for newly recruited overseas nurses or those looking to work in London, while a password protected portal enables members to manage their recruitment pipeline and access resources. 

Why should NHS providers join the consortium?

The consortium creates a larger system for recruitment that has the following benefits for member providers:

1.    Cost reduction and efficiency: Providers reduce their international recruitment costs due sharing resources and campaign costs. A dedicated, senior contract manager will manage all aspects of contracts and recruitment on behalf of providers using the service, creating efficiencies for in terms of back office support. Providers can access more than one recruitment provider/agency without needing to negotiate individual contracts. 

2.    Wider access to international nurses from a variety of prescribed countries:

Six overseas recruitment agencies have been awarded contracts to deliver the service. The agencies will recruit overseas nurses over a year in three waves, including recruiting from India, the Philippines and the rest of the world. This approach allows the consortium to diversify supply and create focused campaigns recruiting for specific nursing skill sets. Being part of the consortium promotes collaboration and removes internal competition for recruitment of overseas nurses among London providers. 

3.    Ethical recruitment: All consortium members agree to adhere to ethical and good practice recruitment principles, including the World Health Organisation Code of Practice on ethical international recruitment. 

Benefits for nurses

Nurses offered a role through the project will receive a standardised offer with the same financial support, on-boarding process and pastoral care provided across London. They can also be assured that any provider they are recruited to as part of the Consortium has agreed to adhere to ethical and good practice recruitment principles. 

More on the website/portal

The Consortium is supported via a website and portal which has three functions:

1.    Public website: This acts as a recruitment microsite and information hub for newly recruited international nurses or those looking to work in London. 

2.    Portal: This is password accessed area for members and acts as a communication and planning point for campaigns and nurse allocation post- campaign. No personally-identifiable data is held. 

3.    Document repository. This is a password protected area giving members access to resources to support international nurses.

Current members

• Camden and Islington NHS Foundation Trust
• Central London Community Healthcare NHS Trust
• Chelsea and Westminster Hospital NHS Foundation Trust
• Croydon University Hospital
• Epsom and ST Helier NHS Trust
• Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust
• The Hillingdon Hospital NHS Foundation Trust
• Hounslow and Richmond Community Healthcare NHS Trust
• Kingston Hospital NHS Foundation Trust 
• Lewisham and Greenwich NHS Trust
• London North West University Healthcare NHS Trust
• North East London NHS Foundation Trust
• North Middlesex University Hospital NHS Trust
• St George’s University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
• West London NHS Trust
• Whittington Health NHS Trust

How can I join the consortium?

The consortium has been designed so that new trusts can join the consortium at any time without the need for the individual trust to tender or the consortium to retender. The consortium arrangement also allows for any trusts to join and recruit small numbers as the focus on sharing resources and having a central hub makes possible.  To find out more about joining the consortium, please contact capitalnurse@hee.nhs.uk

Guidance

As part of our vision to ‘get nursing right for London’; ensuring that London has the right number of nurses, with the right skills in the right place, we've developed the Professional Development Guide for Overseas Nurses. This is a toolkit designed to support overseas nurses transition into their new careers as registered nurses in London. It will also give you some helpful resources that will prepare you for the next few months and in your career as registered nurse in London.

Please take some time to read this toolkit and begin completing the relevant sections before you arrive in London, and then throughout the registration process, until you have successfully obtained NMC registration. Your manager will also refer to the toolkit through the appraisal system, in order to support you in your professional development.

Download the guidebook.

CapitalNurse has also developed a Best Practice Guide and Managers Guide.