What is an NHS Staff Bank? (2024)

Firstly, staff banks have nothing to do with the banking industry or where you keep your money. An NHS staff bank is an entity managed by a trust, or through a third-party organisation who contract healthcare professionals to take on temporary shifts at trust hospitals.

There are many reasons they may be needed but the Francis Report of 2013, which drew a focus on patient safety, quality of care and a culture of collective leadership, provided recommendations on the level of nursing staff that are required per patient across the country.

In order to meet these standards, NHS Trusts rely on temporary workers to meet the fluctuating staffing needs caused by staff illness, or increased patient demand.

Thanks to this regular level of demand across the country for healthcare professionals, staff banks always have shifts available for their bank staff.

These staff play a vital role in ensuring high standards of patient care are maintained, meaning these temporary workers are highly valued.

So why work for an NHS staff bank?

There are a huge number of benefits to choosing to work flexible shifts for an NHS staff bank including:

• Weekly pay and online timesheets allow for easier planning and to get extra cash when needed
• Personal development and gaining skills in new areas
• Priority placement over agency workers meaning you have your pick of available shifts
• Be a part of the NHS family and a valued member of the Trust workforce
• Supportive onsite team (All Bank Partners staff banks have an onsite presence to ensure questions and concerns can be answered promptly and face-to-face)

On top of this, bank staff are able to choose what shifts they want to take on, giving them a great deal of flexibility when deciding to work days over nights, or weekdays over weekends.

Who can work for an NHS staff bank?

Any healthcare professional can join an NHS staff bank, although typically they ask for at least six-months NHS experience to register you. The flexible shifts available work for a variety of people and reasons. Some people who may find flexible shifts particularly beneficial are:

Those who are retired but looking to keep their knowledge current or earn a little extra.

• Those who are parents or have family commitments and need shifts that fit around school, childcare and more.
• Those working substantively at an NHS trust and looking for additional shifts to supplement their income. Many substantive workers who choose to work on the bank at either their own trust or another NHS trust, do this to experience greater variety in their work or take additional shifts in their usual ward.
• Those who are looking to try out new wards or hospitals to gain more knowledge and experience.
• Those who are students looking to gain experience of a clinical setting and to earn whilst they are learning. You can find out more about why students can bank on getting great experience with their staff bank here.

In addition to this, staff banks also offer fantastic career progression and gives workers a chance not only to gain NHS experience, but also to work in a specialism they are looking to develop.

Working as part of an NHS staff bank can often lead to lines of work, which are longer term contracts meaning when a permanent opportunity opens, bank staff are perfectly placed to fill the role.

What do real bank workers say about joining the staff bank?

Whether you have six-months experience or six years, there are plenty of opportunities working for the staff bank.

• Find out what a bank healthcare assistant says about working for the staff bank
• Find out what a bank paediatric nurse says about working for the staff bank
• Find out what a bank ITU nurse says about working for the staff bank
• Find out what a bank doctor says about working for the staff bank
• Find out what a bank pharmacist says about working for the staff bank
• Find out what a bank midwife says about working for the staff bank

Staff banks are just as beneficial for the trust as they are for a worker. They are often significantly more cost effective than using healthcare agencies, but they also give the trust access to an army of workers.

NHS staff bank workers have all been reviewed and approved to work to high standards set by the trust and guidelines. Without staff bank workers, the Trust would struggle to maintain safe staffing levels and high standards of patient care in such a manageable way.

As an outsourced managed workforce organisation providing staff bank services to NHS trusts, Bank Partners are proud to support staff banks in London, Surrey, Hampshire and Northamptonshire. This means we have hundreds of opportunities for healthcare professionals and non-clinical workers looking to work with the NHS.

Please view the full list of NHS trusts in our staff bank family. And we would love to welcome you to be part of them. You can contact any of our staff banks directly or alternatively register your interest to join one.