Work experience

Our placements are open to residents of North Tyneside and Northumberland. This is line with Our Community Promise to support our local communities. The only exception is immediate family of staff (parents/guardians/siblings).

• Applications must be submitted at least 12 weeks before the requested placement start date. Early applications are encouraged, as placements cannot be guaranteed.
• Not all applications are guaranteed a placement.
• Students should carefully select their preferred placement area and dates. We can only consider the information provided on the application form.
• We aim to respond within four weeks.
• Clinical work experience placements are not available between November and February. This is due to increased winter pressures across the NHS.
• Even if you are offered a placement, it may be changed or cancelled. This can be due to unforseen circumstances like staff shortages, ward closures, industrial action or other service pressures.
• Candidates must be aged 13 or above.
• Some departments have age and year-group restrictions.
• Placements can be between three to five days. The first day is a virtual induction. You can do this at home or in school. This means that your placement on site will last between two and four days.

For more information on our Privacy Policy, you can find that here

Our application form has been created to help build confidence and professional communication skills for future employment.

We encourage you to complete the form yourself where possible.

On the application form, you must write a personal statement. There are 2 questions. This is chance to tell us your areas of interest and a bit more about you. We recommend around 200 words per question.

The questions are:

1. How will your chosen placement area support your future career aspiration?
2. What do you already know about your chosen placement area?

Your personal statement will go to your potential host. This is to check compatibility between you and the department. They want to see your passion for your placement choice. They want to know why you are interested in work experience in their department.

If a host feels you may not be a good fit, or your personal statement does not reflect their values, your application may be declined. 

Please note the application form does not automatically save. We suggest preparing your personal statement before filling in the online form.

See below for a guide on the process, as well as expected time frames:

All work experience placements must be arranged through Northumbria Healthcare's official application process.

In some cases, placements can be agreed in advance with a member of staff. However, to support local people through our Community Promise, certain restrictions apply.

If you live outside North Tyneside or Northumberland, you can only arrange a placement in advance if you have a close family member who works for Northumbria Healthcare. This includes a:

• Parent or guardian
• Brother or sister
• Husband, wife, or partner

Placements cannot be arranged through other relatives, family friends, or personal contacts.

This section applies to students who live outside North Tyneside and Northumberland.

Students who are residents of North Tyneside or Northumberland may still have placements arranged through prior arrangements with staff members, even where the staff member is not an immediate relative.

For students living outside North Tyneside and Northumberland, we will only support an application where the student is an immediate family member of a member of staff.

Prior Arrangements

A prior arrangement may be agreed with a member of staff; however, the student must still submit an application providing full details of the proposed prior arrangement.

The staff member who has agreed to the prior arrangement is responsible for providing the Work Experience Team with all required completed paperwork. This must include:

• A timetable for the placement, including supervision arrangements.
• Details of the areas and activities the student will observe during the placement.
• The required risk assessment.
• Any other documentation or clearances required by the Work Experience Team.

All required clearances, including Occupational Health clearance, must be completed before the placement can proceed. The placement must also be formally approved by the Work Experience Team.

A prior arrangement does not constitute approval of a work experience placement.

No placement can be undertaken until all required documentation, and clearances have been completed and the Work Experience Team has confirmed that the placement has been approved.

Applications for work experience placements are now open. Please complete this form.

Before you apply

• Consider applying for a work experience placement, it's good to know what type of placement you might be interested in. Visit NHS Health Careers or Step Into The NHS to complete a short quiz. The quiz will match your interests and skills to roles in the NHS that might be interesting to you.
• You can only apply if your placement starts at least 12 weeks from now.
• We cannot accept placement requests between November and February because NHS services are very busy during this time.
• Placements depend on whether the host department has enough space and staff to support you. 
• Not all applications are guaranteed a placement. 
• Complete the application form yourself where possible, This helps you build confidence and professional communication skills for future employment

Completing the form

• This form does not save automatically, so you must complete and submit it in one go.
• You will need to write a personal statement. It is a good idea to prepare this before starting the application.We aim to review your application within 5 working days.

What happens next 

• If your application is suitable, we will send it to departments that may be able to host you.
• It can take up to 4 weeks for a department to make a decision.
• If you are under 18, a parent or guardian must give permission before we can confirm any placement offer we make.

Please carefully select your preferred placement area and placement dates. We can only consider the information provided on your application form.

Placement preferences should relate to an area, role, or career pathway that you are genuinely considering for your future career. If you are unsure which area may be of interest to you, please complete the NHS Careers Quiz. The quiz can help you explore potential careers.

Areas we have previously offered placements: 

Clinical Areas

• Adult nursing (some restrictions apply)
• Paediatric – Year 12+
• Speech and language therapy – Year 12+
• Occupational therapy
• Physiotherapy
• Orthotics
• Podiatry
• General medicine
• Radiology – Year 12+
• Pharmacy
• Health care support worker

 Non-Clinical Areas

• Administration - Reception, admin assistant, secretary, ward clerk
• Finance
• Human resources
• Information and governance
• Digital and data services
• Data analysis
• Medical electronics
• Estates - Joinery, electrician, painter and decorator
• Domestic services
• Portering
• Catering

Occupational Health clearance is required for all work experience placements. If a placement is agreed, we will arrange this for you. Please note that clearance is only valid for 6 months.

Before you can start your placement, you must give evidence of either:

• Two MMR vaccinations, or
• Two single measles vaccinations.

You can usually find this information in your childhood immunisation record. This record is often called the "red book". You can also find this out by contacting your GP. We must get this information before we can go on with your application. If you cannot have the MMR vaccination, please contact Occupational Health at occhealth@nhct.nhs.uk to discuss your circumstances.

1. We aim to review your application form within 5 working days. We will use your personal statement to find any suitable hosts and send it to departments to see if they have the capacity to host you.
2. We will share your answers with them. This is so they know your goals and your passions. This will help create a bespoke learning experience for you.It can take up to 4 weeks for a department to make a decision.
3. We will inform you via email if we can offer a placement or not.
4. If we can host a placement for you, an initial offer email and link to our occupational health questionnaire will be sent to you to complete. This must be accessed within 2 weeks. The link does expire and will only be re-sent once before the offer is removed.Please ensure you check junk folders as emails may go there. No placement can start without valid health clearances.
5. Once your occupational health check is complete, the work placement coordinator will send an offer letter. This will include
   • A risk assessement
   • A placemet timetable
   • A candidate pack with information such as dress code, and infection control guidance
   • A map of the site you will be going to
6. If you are under 18, a parent or guardian must give permission before we can confirm the placement offer.
7. All offer letters need to be signed to say you agree to our code of conduct and risk assessment in place. 
8. You will emailed a link to your virtual induction 1 week before your start date. You can do this from school/college or home.

• Find out which careers you might enjoy by taking the Health Careers Quiz!
• Brighton and Sussex Medical School – Medicine Virtual Work Experience
• University of Sheffield – Entering the world of Dentistry
• Allied Health Professionals, 360 Virtual Work Experience

We aim to review your application form within 5 working days. We will send it to departments to see if they have the capacity to host you. It can take up to 4 weeks for a department to make a decision.

We will inform you via email if we can offer a placement or not.

If we can host a placement for you, an initial offer email and link to our occupational health check will be sent. This must be accessed within 2 weeks. The link does expire and will only be re-sent once before the offer is removed.

Once your occupational health check is complete, the work placement coordinator will send an offer letter and risk assessment.

If you are under 18, a parent or guardian must permit before we can confirm the offer.

All offer letters need to be signed to say you agree to our code of conduct and risk assessment in place. Once signed, you will get a copy of your timetable and public liability insurance document to provide to the school.

You will get a link to your virtual induction 1 week before your start date. You can do this from school/college or home.

Our Northumbria Healthcare masterclasses are focused and interactive learning sessions. They are designed to give students valuable insight into the wide range of careers available within healthcare.

Masterclasses provide an enhanced work experience opportunity. They give students the chance to take part in practical activities within a simulated healthcare environment, rather than simply observing professionals at work.

These sessions offer a unique opportunity to hear directly from NHS professionals, develop practical skills and gain first-hand insight into working in healthcare.

What can students expect?

• Expert-led sessions
  • Masterclasses are delivered by experienced professionals, senior educators, clinical leaders and specialists in their field.
• Practical and engaging activities:
  • Students will take part in interactive activities, discussions and realistic scenarios that develop practical skills and knowledge.
• Career-focused learning:
  • Students can explore different NHS careers, understand professional roles and learn more about career pathways, entry routes and relevant qualifications.

Upcoming masterclasses

How to book:

Students who are interested in attending a masterclass should speak to their school careers adviser or curriculum lead, who can provide further information about the registration process.

Schools can also book places onto a masterclass by submitting this form.

For further information contact wideningparticipation@northumbria-healthcare.nhs.uk.

Spaces are limited, so schools are encouraged to register their interest as early as possible.

Previous masterclasses

Watch the videos below from previous masterclasses to get a feel for the sessions.

Nursing careers masterclass

Pharmacy masterclass

Allied health professionals masterclass

Our masterclasses are focused, interactive learning sessions designed to provide valuable insight into a range of careers within the Northumbria Healthcare. They help participants develop career-related knowledge, explore different careers, and gain a better understanding of working in healthcare.

Key features of a masterclass:

• Expert-led
  • Sessions are delivered by experienced healthcare professionals, senior educators, clinical leaders, or specialists in their field.
• Practical and engaging
  • Masterclasses focus on real-world skills, knowledge, and experiences. They often incorporate interactive activities and discussions rather than purely theoretical learning.
• Career-focused
  • ​​​​​​​Designed specifically for students, masterclasses offer an opportunity to explore NHS careers, understand different professional roles, and learn about potential career pathways including entry routes and qualifications.

These sessions provide a unique opportunity to hear directly from NHS professionals and gain first-hand insight into working within the healthcare sector.

 2026/2027 Masterclasses

To book any of the masterclasses, please speak to your career lead in school who will be able to provide more information on the registration process.

A copy of our public liability insurance document will be sent to you with your timetable if we are able to offer you a placement. You can also find copies below:

• Northumbria Healthcare Facilities Management - employer liability insurance
• Northumbria Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust - employer liability insurance
• Northumbria Primary Care - employer liability insurance

We offer a variety of clinical and non-clinical placements in our hospital sites, admin bases or GP surgeries. Some departments have age and year-group restrictions.

Restrictions on where placements can be carried out and local restrictions:

Local Restrictions

• Adult Nursing – Year 12+ (acute wards), Year 10+ other areas
• Speech & Language Therapy – Year 12+ only
• Radiology – Year 12+ only
• Theatres – Year 12+ only
• Paediatrics – Year 12+ only
• Cancer Clinics / One-stop Clinics – Year 12+

Areas not permitted

• Mortuary
• Pathology
• Palliative care
• Oncology
• A&E, Urgent Treatment Centres (UTCs) and Minor Injuries
• Psychology
• Mental health services
• Obstetrics, gynaecology and midwifery
• Critical care

Please be aware that we are not always able to secure placements for every applicant. A placement cannot be confirmed until a suitable opportunity has been identified, and all necessary processes have been completed.                

We understand that schools may require confirmation of work experience placements. However, to ensure the safety of both our patients and students, and to maintain high standards of care, we cannot guarantee a placement for every applicant. We will only confirm a placement once all required arrangements and checks are in place.

No.

We will provide all the information you need for your placement, including any relevant risk assessment information, directly to you. These details will be included in your candidate pack and placement offer letter.

Please note that the Work Experience Team and other Trust staff cannot complete Unifrog forms or any other external paperwork on your behalf. If your school requires information about your placement, you should refer to the documentation we provide once your placement has been confirmed.

No. 

We do get requests for placement visits, but we cannot facilitate these.

See below for a guide on work experience applications below. If you have any further questions, please contact WorkExperience@northumbria-healthcare.nhs.uk.