Work experience in the NHS offers the chance to see what the job is really like. It may confirm a person’s career choice or open their eyes to other options that they hadn’t considered.
Within the NHS there is a wide range of career choices from doctors to nurses and allied health professionals such as, physiotherapists, dieticians, radiographers, porters, ward clerks and occupational therapy. The NHS also depends on other staff who work in administration, finance, IT, estates, human resources and other areas. You can learn more about the different roles within the health service on the NHS Careers website here.
A record of work experience will be an advantage when applying for jobs or higher education courses.
What we offer
Work experience placements are provided in clinical and non-clinical work places within the trust for learners aged from 16, although restrictions in certain areas may apply.
Placements are offered for up to five days in clinical and non-clinical areas. Other departments such as therapies, pharmacy and radiology offer one/two day placements.
Application forms will only be accepted within the following guidelines:
- For Spring (March to May) please submit applications between 1 December to 31 January
- For Summer (June to August) please submit applications between 1 March to 30 April
- For Autumn (Sep to October) please submit application between 1 June to 31 July
- For Winter (December to January) please submit applications between 1 September to October 31.
If you have not received confirmation in writing within four weeks of the deadline your application was unsuccessful.
Work experience placements are provided in clinical and non-clinical workplaces within the trust for learners aged from 16, although restrictions in certain areas may apply. Placements are strictly observational only - learners will be supervised at all times.
We offer a range of on-site events which provide insight into the range of careers we offer at LUHFT. These include nursing, allied health professionals and dentistry. Please take a look at our events calendar below to discover the latest Career Insight Days.
Apply for work experience
Individuals wishing to carry out work experience placement must complete a Work Experience Application Form which can be downloaded here.
On completion of the form the work experience coordinator will liaise with the individual to complete all the necessary pre-placement checks.
The student and their parent/guardian are required to sign an honorary contract which gives permission for the placement to proceed and binds students to certain standards of behaviour.
Failure to observe this code may mean instant termination of the placement. An honorary contract will be issued by the Work Experience Coordinator to notify successful candidates of the terms of their agreement.
Apply for Taste of the NHS or Career Insight Day
If you wish to book a place for the Taste of the NHS programme or a Career Day event please complete a Career Day/Programme Application Form.
How do I apply?
Please print and complete an application form and return to the address/email address shown on the form stating the chosen area and the placement dates. Please note, forms should be returned at least 12 weeks prior to placement.
Will I be interviewed?
No, you will not be interviewed, however you will be expected to complete an application form, detailing the reasons to undertake work experience and to include a reference from your tutor.
Who can apply for work experience?
You can apply for a placement with the Trust if you are over 16 years old, attending school, college or higher educational establishments within the local community and fulfil at least one of the following criteria:
- Possess a keen interest in a career within the NHS
- Have a need to demonstrate work experience as part of an application for a recognised academic course
- Need to complete specific work experience to complete vocational training.
Would I be able to apply for more than one placement?
Due to the number of applications we receive, we can only allow one placement per calendar year to allow other students to undertake work experience. In addition, we have restrictions on the amount of placements we can offer per month. Therefore, you are advised to apply as soon as possible as we accept applications on a first-come, first-served basis.
I would like to shadow a doctor while on my placement. Is this possible?
Shadowing a doctor is permitted, however you must be over 16 years old.
What is the uniform policy?
You will be expected to follow the Trust Uniform and Dress Code Policy - black skirt or trousers, white shirt and dark shoes.
Students who undergo placements within the clinical area should:
- Wear short sleeved tops or bare below the elbows.
- Ties should not be worn or, should be tucked into the shirt
- Jewellery must be confined to plain ring as stones can scratch patients. Bracelets should not be worn. Necklaces must be removed with the exception of medical alert necklace. One pair of plain small stud earrings can be worn.
- Hair below collar length must be tied up.
- Nails must be short and kept clean.
- False and gel nails must be avoided as they harbour large numbers of microorganisms.
- No jeans or trainers are allowed.
What are the working arrangements for each placement?
The working arrangements vary depending on where your placement is.
Am I required to undergo an occupational health check?
Yes. The occupational health form is within the application form. You are required to gain evidence of your MMR immunisations from your GP and send to the work experience coordinator along with your completed application form.
Am I required to undergo a CRB check?
A CRB is not required to undertake a placement at the hospital as you must be fully supervised at all times.
How will my placement be confirmed?
You will receive an honorary contract outlining your placement details.
Will I get paid expenses?
All placements are unpaid. The Trust cannot meet any costs towards travel, meals or accommodation.
How long will my placement be?
The duration of the work experience placement can be up to a maximum of 5 days, however some departments feel it is sufficient to offer either 1 or 2 days only. The placement duration is predetermined by the department and is non-negotiable.
Can I do my work experience at the weekend?
Placement requests for alternative configuration/duration e.g. weekly slots, weekends, long term placements etc. cannot be accommodated. Bank Holidays are a particularly busy time for NHS staff and if a Bank Holiday falls within your allocated placement you should not attend on that day.
Can I have more than one choice of department on my application?
Your request may be considered more favourably if your application identifies a single choice placement, preferably which is also aligned with your chosen career pathway, since some of the clinicians choose to restrict their work experience placements to those students who are able to evidence a specific interest or intent towards their given profession.
There are various departments within the Trust that on enquiry would potentially have the capacity to help support a work experience placement. However, we do try and allocate students to a department who have a genuine interest in that field so that maximum benefit is gained.
To help us find a suitable placement, please can you specify on the expression of interest form a department/job role within the Trust that you would be interested in gaining experience in. The department will look at the expression of interest form to see if they can offer the sort of experience the student is interested in before offering a placement so the more information on the form the better.
Does the Trust have Employers Liability Insurance?
Yes, we are insured on a yearly basis April to March. A copy of the certificate can be sent to your educational provider on request.
Past events
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Cancelled - Estates and Facilities Careers Day
Event date and time: 20 June 2025
Event Categories:
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Recruitment Events
Event description:
Cancelled as a result of exam schedules.
This is a one-day programme inviting students from local schools to learn about the different careers such as Catering, Maintenance, Portering, in the Estates and Facilities department.
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Dentistry Open Day
Event date and time: 1 May 2025
Event Categories:
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Recruitment Events
Event description:
Date TBC.
This is a one-day programme inviting students from local schools to learn about the wide range of Dentistry specialities within the NHS.
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Ophthalmology Careers Day
Event date and time: 8 April 2025
Event Categories:
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Recruitment Events
Event description:
This is a one-day programme inviting students from local schools to learn about the wide range of Ophthalmology specialities within the NHS.
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Allied Health Professional Career Day
Event date and time: 25 March 2025
Event Categories:
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Recruitment Events
Event description:
This is a one-day programme inviting students from local schools to come in and hear from a wide range of Allied Health Professionals eg. Radiographers, Physiotherapists, Therapies etc.
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Clinical Sciences Open day
Event date and time: 11 March 2025
Event Categories:
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Recruitment Events
Event description:
The one-day event will consist of half day of information from some of our scientists and half a day touring the labs in LCL.
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Taste of the NHS programme - Admin and IT
Event date and time: 21 February 2025
Event Categories:
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Recruitment Events
Event description:
We offer a one-day programme consisting of career talks from various professions in the NHS.
The programme will run yearly in the February and October half terms and the beginning of July.
All participants must be aged 14 to 18 at time of placement.
The programme will provide an insight into the varied careers within a busy hospital. This programme is beneficial if you are unsure of the roles within the NHS.
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Aspiring Medics Day
Event date and time: 3 December 2024
Event Categories:
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Recruitment Events
Event description:
This is a one-day programme inviting students from local schools to come in and hear from a wide range of doctors about their experiences of becoming a doctor and the work that they do now.
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Nursing Career Day
Event date and time: 5 November 2024
Event Categories:
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Recruitment Events
Event description:
A one-day programme inviting students from local schools to discover the wide range of nursing specialities there are within an NHS setting.
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Taste of the NHS programme - Clinical and non-clinical
Event date and time: 1 November 2024
Event Categories:
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Recruitment Events
Event description:
We offer a one-day programme consisting of career talks from various professions in the NHS.
The programme will run yearly in the February and October half terms and the beginning of July.
All participants must be aged 14 to 18 at time of placement.
The programme will provide an insight into the varied careers within a busy hospital. This programme is beneficial if you are unsure of the roles within the NHS.
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