A KEY figure in recruitment for the NHS in Cumbria has said she “has no concerns about Brexit” - as a new recruitment video is launched.

North Cumbria Integrated Care NHS Foundation Trust (NCIC) and North West Ambulance Service NHS Trust (NWAS) have launched a video aimed at showing the benefits on offer by working for the NHS locally.

The video features a variety of staff from NCIC and NWAS from those based in the Cumberland Infirmary in Carlisle and West Cumberland Hospital in Whitehaven, plus others serving across Cumbria from Brampton to Barrow.

It builds on the trust’s recruitment campaign ‘is this you?’ which describes the kind of people the trust is looking for such as innovators, team players and forward thinkers to show there is something for everyone.

Amanda Dunkley, head of workforce solutions at NCIC said: “We live in a beautiful part of the country to live, the Lake District is a Unesco World Heritage Site. Patients here really appreciate workers in the NHS and healthcare professionals.

“What we want to get across is the fantastic career prospects here, that people wouldn’t normally associate with a rural area.

“We also live in one of the most cost effective parts of the country, a nurse’s salary goes much further than in other parts of the UK.”

Mrs Dunkley says the recruitment problem is national, not regional. She also pointed to the recent successes in attracting doctors in Cumbria.

She said NCIS has seen a 40 per cent improvement in the number of doctor vacancies. Despite continued uncertainty surrounding Brexit, Mrs Dunkley has seen no reason for concern.

“We are still in a situation where Brexit is an unknown. We are always going to have to think in that (in the event of no-deal) situation about contingency plans.

“We have regular meetings about Brexit taking leadership and guidance from a national level. From what we are seeing at this point, we have no concerns.”

She said it would be in the UK’s best interests to ensure the NHS has continued access to European workers.