A NEW national campaign to recruit more nurses has been welcomed by Airedale NHS Foundation Trust.

The initiative, launched to coincide with the 70th anniversary of the NHS, will spotlight the range of careers on offer within the profession.

It is primarily targetting young people aged 14 to 18, through TV and radio advertising, posters and social media.

Professor Jane Cummings, chief nursing officer for England, said: “The NHS is our country’s most loved institution and that is down to the expert skill, dedication and compassion of its brilliant staff.

“There are over 350 careers available within the NHS, giving young people an astonishing range of options.

“Nursing and midwifery make up the largest part of the workforce and they provide a unique opportunity to make a real difference to people’s lives in a way that simply cannot be matched.

“Nurses and midwives provide expert skilled care and compassion, and they are highly talented leaders in the NHS.

“This campaign is all about inspiring young people and others who want a change of career to come and work for the NHS and have a rewarding and fulfilling career that makes a real difference.”

The £8 million campaign, after initially focussing on nursing, will also raise awareness of other roles within the health service.

Carole Lavelle, NHS England’s director of nursing in Yorkshire and the Humber, said many people were unaware of the range of “intellectually challenging” work undertaken by nurses.

“Nurses in the NHS work on the frontline of healthcare – making a difference to the lives of patients each and every day,” she added.

“They are experts in the human body and human emotion too.”

Jill Asbury, director of nursing at Airedale NHS Foundation Trust, said the national initiative would underpin recruitment campaigns run by the trust.

“It can only help to raise the profile of all the opportunities that are available to nurses,” she added.

“Airedale NHS Foundation Trust is well placed, as a provider of both acute and community services, to offer a variety of experiences to nurses across all our specialities and we hope to benefit from this renewed national focus.

“Airedale is a fantastic place to work in a beautiful part of the world – so whether people are considering a nursing career, studying nursing or used to work in the profession and are thinking about returning to practice, we would be delighted to hear from them.”