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Allied Health Employment - London and UK

 

Work for the single largest employer in Britain. 

 

 Find Jobs

Working in Allied Health in the UK 

      The Opportunity                How to Prepare                    FAQs         

Britain has one of the largest and most proficient healthcare systems in the world. A locum position or permanent post can be your ticket to the UK and Europe.

A move to the UK could be one of the most exciting and challenging decisions of your life. This page will tell you everything you need to know to get the most out of your time and help you find the position that you want. Here you'll find information on which Health jobs are available, what you need to do before you can start working, where you can work and how much you can expect to earn.

Recruitment agencies let you get a head start on your job search. They do the work for you by searching their open jobs to pair you with one that fits your expertise, schedule and location preferences. Our mission is to connect you with best Allied Health recruitment agencies in the UK. We focus on find the ones that will go extra mile and help you with everything from registration with your professional body to seeting up interviews. You can register here


 

The Opportunity

   

 

Employment Scope

Demand

Lifestyle

Choose from a long list of Allied Heath Professions and locations throughout England, Scotloand, Northern Ireland and Wales.

As the largest single employer in the UK, the NHS consistently has a high demand for Allied Health workers from overseas.  Get contract work to tailor according to your travel plans during your working holiday, or begin searching for permanent positions. 

 

Scope: Work for Britain's single greatest employer. 

The British healthcare system — known as the National Healthcare Service (NHS) — continues to grow into one of the most extensive and progressive public healthcare systems in the world. In terms of size, the NHS is the largest publicly funded healthcare services in the world. A growing private healthcare system also exists in Britain, though this is used by less than 8% of the population.

Working for NHS 

Find out about the huge scope of services the NHS covers.


There are a lot of NHS jobs! The NHS is the single greatest employer in the Britain — directly employing more than 1.5 million people. The scope of the services offered by the NHS is huge and there is a continual need for qualified and experienced staff to help with the provision of these services. The NHS delivers all major services (excepting optician and dentistry services) to people at no charge.

List of availabe Allied Health professions.


 

Get an introduction to how NHS operates.


Understanding the structure of the NHS can be very helpful when you first arrive. Overall, the NHS is under the political authority of the Department of Health (DH) within the British government. Below the DH, are a number of Strategic Health Authorities (SHAs), which are basically a group of regional divisions which monitor performance and standards throughout. Within each SHA are a number of Trusts.

Trusts are responsible for spending allocated funds on various healthcare services. Different types of Trusts are responsible for funding different health services, for example, Primary Care Trusts (PCTs) are responsible for commissioning primary care services such as pharmacies. Following this same example, a pharmacist based in Islington in North London will be contracted to work by the Islington PCT.

Contract and Permanent Positions

Find out what types of employment you can expect to find.


The full range of employment options are available to Health professionals, though full-time and part-time positions are most common. The type of employment you take may be affected by the type of visa you hold. If you are on a Teir5 / Youth Mobility Visa then finding a permanent role can be quite difficult due to the time-restrictions associated with your visa. Instead, you are much more likely to enjoy a number of contract roles. For example, maternity leave cover positions are often a great source of employment for people on Youth Mobility Visa.

Demand: Enter a thriving market. 

There are a lot of NHS jobs! The NHS is the single greatest employer in the Britain — directly employing more than 1.5 million people. The scope of the services offered by the NHS is huge and there is a continual need for qualified and experienced staff to help with the provision of these services. The NHS delivers all major services (excepting optician and dentistry services) to people at no charge.

Read about the outlook for those seeking healthcare employment.


The outlook for Allied Health professionals is extremely good. The sheer size of the healthcare service, in conjunction with its commitment to the provision of high quality services, means that there is a strong demand for qualified and experienced workers from overseas. In general, Health professionals from overseas are highly considered.

Lifestyle: Earnings & Locations

How Much You'll Earn 

Health professionals working in the public sector are well paid and wage rates are similar to those which are on offer in the private sector.

Find out how much you'll get paid.


 

 

 

 

The NHS has a structured pay system which dictates the amount you will earn. Salaries are awarded on a points system, of which there are 9 bands representing levels of qualification, responsibility and expertise (band 9 being the highest pay bracket). Within each pay band, there are a series of pay points - staff generally go up one pay point per annum until they reach the top of their band.

 

The NHS Job Evaluation Scheme is used to determine which band each employee belongs to. As an experienced and qualified overseas Health professional it is likely that you will meet the criteria for bands 5, 6 or 7. The pay rates for each band are outlined in this table:

 

 
Band    Earnings per annum 
 1    £ 12 182 – £ 13 253 
 2    £ 12 577 – £ 15 523 
 3    £ 14 437 – £ 17 257 
 4    £ 16 853 – £ 20 261 
 5    £ 19 683 – £ 25 424 
 6    £ 23 458 – £ 31 779 
 7    £ 28 313 – £ 37 326 
 8*    £ 36 112 – £ 75 114 
 9     £ 71 646 – £ 90 600 

   *Band 8 contains 4 sub-bands                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            

 

Where You Can Work

Positions are available country wide. If you desire to live at a specific location, it is usually possible to find the job to suit the location. If you are using a recruitment agency, make sure you are clear about your location preferences from the start.

England


Within England, positions are most commonly found in the large and economically dominant regions of the North West, South East and Greater London. As with all jobs in the UK, it is in London that you will find the greatest number of opportunities.

Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales


If you are more concerned about finding the right job rather than the right location, then there are certain regions which are more likely to be fruitful. In Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, you are more likely to find your desired Allied Health job in one of the capital cities (Edinburgh, Cardiff and Belfast respectively). Still, there are generally more Health positions in England than in any of the other constituent countries of the United Kingdom.


 

How to Prepare 

Finding a Job  

  1. Cut to the chase by simply registering with specialist recruitment agencies for engineering recruitment and that are focused on helping people from overseas - ideally before you arrive.

  2. Discover the opportunites available by reading the information below.

  3. Begin applying to specific health & medical jobs. (When you register at step one, you can choose to recieve jobmail)

 

Qualifications from Overseas: 

Most Health jobs require you to possess a tertiary-level degree, diploma or certificate issued from an approved educational institution. These requirements vary from profession to profession, so it is important to ensure that you fully investigate this before you start applying.

Getting your overseas qualifications recognized.


Overseas qualification will usually be recognised only after they have been verified by an appropriate body. The method for having your qualifications verified varies depending on your profession and on the regulatory / professional body that requires their verification.

For many Health professionals, the Health Professionals Council (HPC) is the regulatory body with which you will have to apply for registration. For detailed information on what this process involves, see our Health Professionals Council page.

 

Before You Go: What employers will check before giving you a job. 

One of the key benefits of working with a recruitment consultant is that they will make sure you have everything you need sorted out so that you can hit the ground running when you arrive in the UK. For most allied helth professionals such as Occupational Therapy, Physiotherapy and Radiography for example there a number of requirements that need to be met before you can apply.

  1. Your Identity
  2. Work Permits
  3. Qualifications
  4. Registration
  5. References
  6. Criminal Records Bureau
  7. Occupational health

 


 

 

FAQs

 

 

Will my overseas qualificaitons be recognised in the UK?


If you are from a Commonwealth country yes almost certainly. Typically other Commonwealth countries are highly regarded. Other countries too may be recognised however you will need to check what is regired for registartion with your professional body. 

Who can I expect to work for in the UK?


The NHS directly employs more than 1.5 million people so it is a fair bet that you too may end up on their payroll. The structure of the NHS is such that your direct employer will be the particular Trust which is responsible for your place of work. For example, as a Physiotherapist in Nottingham your employer would be the Nottingham City Primary Care Trust (PCT).

There are also opportunities to work for private hospitals, clinics and practices as an Health professional, though these are less common than positions within the public sector.

How much will I earn?


Your pay rate depends on your level of qualification, responsibilities and expertise. Generally, qualified health professionals can expect to make £ 19 683 to £ 37 326 per annum. The NHS' structured pay system has 9 bands. View Full Pay Table Above.

How should I go about finding the right Allied Health Job?


Whether you are applying for a specific job or simply looking for anything which matches your skills and experience, your first point of contact will probably be a recruiter. Recruitment agencies are heavily involved in the British job market - it is their business to find quality candidates for employers while simultaneously helping candidates to develop and progress their careers.

WORKgateways manages a network of the recruiters focused on helping people coming from overseas to get off to a flying start.

Are NHS jobs in England the same as NHS jobs in other parts of the UK?


While the NHS is often referred to as if it is a single entity throughout the whole of the UK, it technically only exists as the NHS within England. NHS Scotland, NHS Wales and Health and Social Care (HSC) Northern Ireland are all managed independently though they are funded centrally. This page generally refers to the NHS (the public healthcare system of England) as this is by far the largest and most developed of the healthcare systems. Unless otherwise stated, it is safe to assume that the information provided about the NHS is also applicable to the healthcare systems of Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. 

How far in advance should I register with agencies to find a job?


You can with recruitment agencies up to 2 years before your arrival. The longer the better to allow for them to help you get your registration arranged and criminal checks completed. That said, the allied health jobs are so high in demand that you likely will find a job within weeks of everything getting sorted out. Your recruitment consultant will begin the process of finding you a suitable position, giving you a great head start to your working life in Britain. If your travel plans or arrival date changes, you will simply need to inform your recruitment consultant and they will take care of the rest.

 

Get Started:

 

  Register with Agencies