The NHS Business Services Authority (NHSBSA) is planning to launch a new NHS Jobs platform early next year.
It has developed a private beta version in a partnership with digital transformation specialist Difrent.
They have agreed on a two-year, £3 million deal for the company to act as delivery partner for the project, in a continuation of an arrangement going back to 2017.
Multi-disciplinary teams from the Difrent will continue to work with the NHS Jobs service beyond launch on further iterations and improvements as part of the product roadmap.
It said the new platform will be quicker and easier to use than the old one, which has been in place since 2014 and handles 4.4 million applications for over 375,000 roles each year.
Darren Curry, chief digital and data officer at NHSBSA, said: “We know NHS colleagues have been working under enormous pressure increased by the pandemic, so by making it simpler for people domestically and abroad to apply for roles, and for recruiting managers to navigate the hiring process, we can help release some of the strain.
“With pleasing news coming through that record numbers of people are applying to study nursing and embark on a career in healthcare, we need to be ready to offer these people, and other applicants a modern and efficient way to find, apply for and secure a career with the NHS.
“We’ve been delighted with the partnership and progress made with Difrent during the first phase of this project. Success in the stages up to private beta has been based on a user-centric culture, and I look forward to more managers and applicants benefiting from the new user-friendly platform in the coming months.”
Image from iStock, Farakos
