An Introduction to NHS Jobs

NHS Jobs is the dedicated online recruitment service for the NHS. The vast majority of NHS vacancies are advertised on the website - around 20,000 every month. So if you are looking for a career in the NHS - or you are already working within it but are considering changing roles - this site should be your first port of call.

Once you have registered, you can quickly search and apply for NHS jobs online, and take advantage of many useful features, including 'jobs by email' which means we will automatically email you with any vacancies you may be interested in. You can also save job details and applications - and track your progress with any vacancies online.

"NHS Jobs is the fastest online route to all the latest vacancies within the health service. With its close links to NHS Careers, all the information you need about working for the NHS is at the touch of a button, from career pathways to employer details, from tracking new vacancies to checking your application's progress."
Amanda Berzins, HR Development Manager, Great Ormond Street Hospital

First things first: you need to set up your NHS Jobs account

To set up your account, simply click on the Register your details button. Fill in your name, address and email; choose a password that is easy to remember, but difficult for others to guess; and click on 'create' to set up your account. Whenever you come back to the site, you simply log-in using your email address for your username and password.

Searching for jobs could not be easier

If you already know what kind of role you are looking for within the NHS, you can start finding vacancies straight away. There are three main ways to do it:

  1. Use the quick search option on the home page - enter a keyword, location or salary and it will display any relevant jobs.
  2. If you want to be more specific about the type of job you are looking for, use the advanced search function. This lets you search for jobs by job title, skills and experience, employer, staff group, location, salary and job type.
  3. Browse for jobs within specific roles, for example Nursing and Midwifery.

Don't forget, if you want to find out more about the many different roles available within the NHS - including information such as pay and benefits, and the skills you need for particular positions - the NHS Careers website has plenty of useful information.

We will send you Jobs by email or keep you up to date via RSS

New vacancies are being added to NHS Jobs all the time. You can be among the first to see them by setting up your Jobs by email settings. Simply select your preferred search criteria (by job title, keywords, salary and location) and we will email you details of matching vacancies whenever they are advertised on the site.

We can also notify you via RSS when new suitable vacancies are added if you would prefer.

Other useful features to tell you about

My jobs basket.
If you find a vacancy you are interested in, or you want to come back and look at particular vacancies again later, you can store them in your jobs basket.
My applications.
Once you have found a job you want to apply for, you can fill in your application online. Once you have submitted at least one application, you can save your application details at any time to come back to later. You can re-use the same form as the basis for other positions you want to apply for - just remember to tailor the information for each new vacancy.
My profiles.
For some professional staff groups, NHS employers can now search for candidates on NHS Jobs, see the profiles of interested jobseekers and invite people to apply online. All you need to do is register your interest for a particular work area or job type on the 'my profiles' page. This will save your profile to that area and employers who have any relevant vacancies will then be able to see your details. You will then receive an email if you are being invited to apply for a particular role.
My interviews.
Remember to check your email regularly, as any invitations to interview will be sent to you by email. If you have not received a response within three weeks, you should assume your application has been unsuccessful - and you can carry on looking for other vacancies.
Executive vacancies.
If you are looking for director or executive level positions within the NHS, you can also go straight to those vacancies and apply for any you are interested in.

Hopefully you now have a fairly good idea of how NHS Jobs works. Once you have registered, have a look round and familiarise yourself with the different parts of the site. If you have any questions about how to use NHS Jobs, you may well find the answer in our frequently-asked questions section. You can also email our helpdesk at any time with any technical queries, and don't forget, you will find plenty more information about the career paths available in the NHS on the NHS Careers website.

You may also like to read our articles on 'Making successful applications' and 'Keeping your information secure'.