Recruitment in NHS England – Kent, Surrey and Sussex
Public Health Recruitment – Public health is all about helping people to stay healthy and protecting them from threats to their health. This link will help you find out more about Public Health.
Medical Specialty Recruitment website – this provides guidance to help you apply to your chosen specialty with a recruitment overview, information on eligibility, application, shortlisting, interviews and selection process, preferencing, and offers. You will also find further related information on how recruitment works such as the Multi-Specialty Recruitment Assessment (MRSA) and interviews, as well as recruitment data and publications.
Public Health Person Specification
Applicant Guidance
Please see information on the Specialty Recruitment applicant guide.
Oriel Recruitment System – Oriel is the UK wide portal for recruitment to postgraduate medical, dental, public health, healthcare science and foundation pharmacy training. Applicants will use Oriel for all stages of the recruitment process.
Recruitment Evenings
See recruitment evening invitation HERE Please complete the registration form HERE to receive a link to the below events.
Where: Microsoft Teams online event
When: Thursday 17th October 2024 6pm – 7:30pm or
When: Monday 21st October 2024 6pm – 7:30pm
Who is it for: Open to anyone interested in applying to Public Health Specialty training in Kent, Surrey and Sussex (KSS)
Pay Protection Information
For enquires about pay protection, please email the Programme Support Manager (PSM) at england.ksspublichealthschool.se@nhs.net who will put you in touch with the Lead Employer.
Please see the NHS Employers Website and the Pay Circular regarding Remuneration of Public Health Specialist Trainees under the Agenda for Change (AfC) agreement.
Please note that Pay Protection is only offered to people from a non-medical background. It is worked out as a proportion of Band 8d on the AfC pay scale. Pay protection is available if you currently (i.e. this is not offered to any previous roles with higher banding or pay scale,) earn more than the starting salary, and should be applied for through the Lead Employer after being offered a place.
The Lead Employer will contact trainees with relevant new starter paperwork. Within the offer letter there should be information about pay protection. You will be asked for proof of salary and pay slips. Pay protection is based on a full time pro rata salary but not hours. i.e. if you are on a full time 35hrs contract, we would protect the salary, but the training programme is based on a 37.5-hour week.
The Lead Employer will then meet with the Head of School to discuss eligible candidates and confirm whether “previous experience is judged to be relevant to NHS employment.” This is a joint process and can take some time, so please be patient.
We understand that you want to be reassured about pay protection before accepting the training placement offer. However we may only be able to confirm eligibility, and may not be able to confirm that pay protection has been granted until further into the recruitment process.
There is no pay protection for doctors entering the Specialty Training Programme if applied and accepted a medical specialty post with a MBBS or equivalent medical qualification. Medical Specialist Trainees are paid on the standard NHS junior doctors pay scale.
KSS Public Health Buddy Scheme for Black or Asian Applicants to the Public Health Specialty Training
In 2023/24 we launched a new KSS buddy scheme specifically designed for applicants from black or Asian backgrounds planning to apply to Public Health Specialty training.
To be eligible, applicants had to meet the following criteria:
- Currently living or working in Kent, Surrey or Sussex;
- From a black or Asian background;
- Planning to apply for Public Health specialty training in 2023/24 for August 2024 start.
Eligible applicants were paired with a buddy who is currently on the Public Health Specialty training programme and were provided with support and guidance through the application process.
2024 application to the South East Buddy Scheme
Registration to the South East Buddy Scheme will be open from Monday 7th October 2024 at 9am until Sunday 20th October 2024 at 9pm
Please see registration form HERE
Recent research exploring differential attainment in public health specialty training recruitment in the UK indicates that candidates from some racially minoritised backgrounds are disadvantaged by the current recruitment process. This is particularly the case for black and Asian groups.
As part of our ongoing efforts to ensure our public health specialist workforce reflects the diverse communities we live and work in, we are launching a buddy scheme specifically designed for applicants from black or Asian backgrounds planning to apply to Public Health Specialty training from Thursday October 26th 2024 – Thursday November 23rd 2024. Applicants will be paired with a buddy (of any ethnic background) who is currently on the Public Health Specialty training programme and will be provided with support and guidance at each stage of the application process.
To be eligible to receive a buddy you will be:
• Currently living or working in the South East of England – to include (the counties of Kent, Surrey, Sussex, Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire, Berkshire, Hampshire, and Isle of Wight)
• From a background with differential attainment at recruitment (black or South Asian background);
• Eligible for and planning to apply for Public Health specialty training in 2024.
We will have a limited number of places available on the buddy scheme. If the scheme is oversubscribed, places will be allocated on a first come first served basis. Please note that prior to being offered a buddy we will ask to see evidence of either residence or current employment within the South East. Please complete the above registration form if you wish to apply for a Buddy. This registration form will be open from 9am Monday 7th October until 9pm Sunday 20th October if you wish to apply for a buddy. We will contact all applicants by Monday 28th October with the outcome of their application via email.
Buddy Scheme Information Evening: link to flyer HERE
Friday 11th October 2024 – 5pm to 6pm click link to join the event.
This is a separate event with just buddy scheme information. We recommend you also register to attend one of the recruitment information evenings mentioned above.
If you would like any further information on the buddy scheme or on recruitment, please contact england.ksspublichealthschool.se@nhs.net