NHS Jobs

The NHS Business Services Authority (NHSBSA) describes NHS Jobs as the official online recruitment service for the NHS in England and Wales. It is provided by NHSBSA Workforce Services. Most NHS trusts and other NHS employers in England and Wales advertise their vacancies there, so it is the main place internationally trained nurses, doctors and allied health professionals search for UK jobs.

NHS Jobs is a job board and application system, not an employer. Each advert belongs to a specific trust or organisation, which shortlists, interviews and, if you need it, sponsors your visa.

1. Search by job title, keyword or location. NHS adverts usually show the Agenda for Change band and salary, so you can compare with our NHS pay band explorer.
2. Read the job description and person specification. Shortlisting is scored against the essential criteria, so your supporting information should address each one.
3. Check whether the advert mentions visa sponsorship, and confirm your registration status with the NMC, GMC or HCPC matches what the advert asks for.
4. Press apply. If the employer uses NHS Jobs directly, you complete the form in your NHS Jobs account. If not, you are sent to the employer's own system.
5. Watch your email for shortlisting and interview invitations, and check before the closing date, because adverts can close early.

NHSBSA says employers can create listings in their own applicant tracking system and send them to NHS Jobs, and applicants then apply directly through that third-party system. It lists more than 20 such systems, including Trac, Jobtrain, Oleeo and Workday. NHSBSA also notes that applicants do not need to register with NHS Jobs if they apply through a third-party board. So it is normal to have both an NHS Jobs account and a Trac account.

Employers that use the Electronic Staff Record (ESR) can link it to NHS Jobs. NHSBSA says ESR-linked adverts and successful applicants transfer recruitment data automatically, which is why your details from the application may reappear in your new employer's HR system after you are appointed.

NHSBSA's NHS Jobs Training and Support team publishes an applicant knowledge base, user guides and tutorial videos. Questions about a specific vacancy, such as sponsorship or start dates, go to the recruiting employer, whose contact is on the advert. Scotland and Northern Ireland are outside NHS Jobs' stated coverage, so check their health boards' own job sites for posts there.

• Generic supporting statements. Tailor each one to the person specification.
• Applying without the registration the advert requires.
• Fake "NHS" recruiters. Apply through NHS Jobs or the employer's own site, and be wary of anyone asking for money to put you forward.

Read how to find NHS trusts that sponsor visas and NHS interview questions for international nurses.