Tens of thousands of new healthcare support workers have signed up to join the NHS, as a result of recruitment drives across the country.

NHS trusts have reported that almost 35,000 job offers have been made since the end of January. 25,000 people have already started as healthcare support workers, 9,000 of these are new to healthcare.

Earlier this year, a recruitment drive resulted in almost 4,000 people receiving "on-the-spot" job offers at events held between March and May to help boost support for patients, families and staff.

The recruitment campaign ran in cities including Manchester, London, Bristol and Leeds, in collaboration with Indeed.

There were career fairs aimed at people looking to return to work after a break, looking for a career change and those who don't currently work in the care sector.

NHS Chief Executive Amanda Pritchard, said: “Healthcare support workers are at the heart of wards, clinics and local communities up and down the country, and I am delighted to welcome every new recruit as they will play an integral part in caring for patients as we continue to make progress on the COVID-19 backlogs and prepare for winter.

“NHS staff are already working incredibly hard with pressure on various fronts and as we prepare for the winter period, additional healthcare support workers will be a huge support in helping deliver the plans we have already set out – from boosting bed capacity to increasing call handlers in NHS 111 and 999.

“It has never been easier to join the NHS team, so whether you’re looking for a career change or just starting out, I would encourage you to look for an event in your area or search ‘NHS careers’ today as thousands of people have done over the last few months”.

The campaign was shortlisted for the Best Recruitment Experience Award at the 2022 Nursing Times Workforce Awards.