ICB launches integration courses in India to attract nurses to work in BSW

BSW ICB has launched a new recruitment initiative to attract nurses from India to come and work in health and care roles in Bath and North East Somerset, Swindon and Wiltshire.

The new recruitment drive has seen the launch of an integration course which will be available across India and delivered in both Kerala in South India and Mumbai. The integration course will cover specific modules on mental health to help increase local nurses’ knowledge of nursing in the UK.

The course is for a total of 300 hours which is delivered face to face and includes clinical placements on mental health wards and OSCE training. This course has been designed with the help of Somerset NHS trust and Avon and Wiltshire Partnership.

When the nurses have successfully completed the integration course, they will fly to the UK to join Avon and Wiltshire Partnership.

In addition to the course, BSW ICB is also working with partners in India to establish career coaches in universities and teaching hospitals to help create long lasting links and positive relationships to further encourage nurses and other staff groups to come to work in the NHS.

So far, we have recruited 60 nurses to take part in the course. The first group of nurses are due to start in March in Kerela and the second group in June in Mumbai.

Penny Smee, Director of Resourcing and Retention at BSW ICB said:

“It’s no secret that there is a shortage of nurses not only here in BSW but all across the UK. This new initiative is an important step in the right direction to address that issue through equipping highly trained nurses from India with the skills and knowledge they need to work in the UK.

We are also building strong relationships with universities in India to help grow pipelines so more nurses can be encouraged to come and work for BSW health and care providers in the future.”