References: How do I prepare for a job as a doctor in the NHS

Gaining references for NHS

The NHS wants to ensure that they provide a duty of care to their employees and patients, therefore they conduct references on all new potential employees.

In this article, we outline the steps on how to prepare your employee reference check for a job as a doctor in the NHS.

What is a reference check?

Your NHS trust will check your employment history and will want to hear from previous employers about the work you undertook in your job. They will also want to know the exact dates of when you started and when you finished your employment.

Before conducting your references, make sure you have handed in your notice to your current employer, so they are aware you’re leaving.

How many references will I need?

Your references will need to cover the last three years. If you have only worked at one hospital for the past three years, they will require two references from that hospital. If you have worked for more than one hospital in the last three years, you will need one reference from each hospital.

Who can I gain a reference from?

The referees must be consultant level or above. By giving you a reference, they will have the opportunity to vouch your clinical abilities and experience.

What if I’m unable to get references from my employer?

We hope your referees will provide you with glowing references. However, in the unlikely event that your referee feels that you have not performed well, they may not provide you with a reference or they may go into detail about the issues that have occurred. Unfortunately, in this case, you will not pass the pre-employment stage and you will be removed from the job process.

How do I send them to the NHS employer?

Your references must be on a letter-headed paper and should include the period of employment. It also must be signed, stamped, and dated. To make this process easier, when Remedium places you in your new NHS role we can provide you with a pre-designed reference letter so that all you need to do is get your referee to sign and stamp it.

How can Remedium help you?

When we place doctors into roles within the NHS we help with every step of the process. As part of our recruitment and onboarding service, Remedium can request your references on your behalf. Once the references from your pervious employers and your current employer are received, they will be verified and sent to your new NHS hospital.

We understand that the process of relocating can be daunting, but we have supported thousands of doctors like you to make the move before. In addition to the tailored interview support, our award-winning digital relocation software, Red Carpet, will help relieve the burden, by helping you with administrative tasks like securing flights and accommodation, setting up a bank account, and much, much more.

If you’re looking for a new role within the NHS, please get in touch.

You can take a look at our live vacancies here.

or you can register your CV here.

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