Free bus travel amongst support on offer for NHS nurses recruited from abroad to work in the Black Country

It comes as part of an initiative launched by the Clinical Fellowship Programme International Recruitment Team, which supports internationally recruited nurses at The Royal Wolverhampton NHS Trust and Walsall Healthcare NHS Trust.

The healthcare trusts have formed partnership with three organisations to offer the support to staff including HSBC UK, which will see nurses provided with financial education.

Chanelle Esposito, acting international recruitment operations manager for both trusts, said: "HSBC staff educate nurses with monthly sessions and our first session went amazingly well.

"We've received some brilliant feedback from our nurses as to how easy this process was. HSBC educated our nurses on fraud, scams and how to use their online banking tools to work for them.

"The nurses also said how this relieved stress for them in setting up a UK bank account as HSBC guided them through the process and offered advice."

Leanne Hailstone, HSBC local director for Wolverhampton Market and the Midlands Region, added that it was important for international nurses to be able to manage their finances.

She said: "It's important newcomers can access banking services quickly and easily, as well as build awareness on how they can manage their finances and protect themselves against fraud and scams.

"Our global banking services are especially useful, as being connected to their home country is something that can help them to manage their finances while living in the UK."

The project will also see international healthcare staff provided with free bus travel during their first month in the UK through National Express West Midlands as well as a discounted travel pass following the four-week period.

David Gallagher, senior partnership manager for the travel company, said: “We’re very proud to support this initiative. We’re passionate about the environmental benefits that sustainable travel delivers for people and the environment.

"Offering free travel to new recruits encourages people to experience the benefits of travelling by bus. Fourteen per cent of the NHS’s carbon footprint is caused by staff commuting and patient travel.

"We’re working with the trusts to meet their transport and travel net zero targets and to play their part in improvements to local air quality.

"As well as the environmental benefits, we’re supporting the trust with the challenges for staff. By offering four weeks’ free travel for new recruits and 10 per cent off bus travel for all NHS staff, a monthly pass can work out as affordable as £1.48 per day."

Internationally recruited nurses will also be provided with 30 days of accommodation in Wolverhampton, supplied by FW Property.

The company has allocated nine, fully-refurbished rooms per month in the city comprising of several two and three bedroom apartments.

Katie Marsh, house manager at FW Property, said: "We're honoured to be part of this process. A house manager is on site if the nurses have any issues or concerns.

"Their wellbeing is important to us, therefore their stay also includes membership at the local Firewalker Gym. We also offer an NHS discount for anyone staying with us."

Several international nurses working for Walsall Healthcare have spoken out about how the available support helped them to settle into their new positions in the UK.

Virginia Enyidede from Nigeria, said: "I've benefited from the support so thank you to the recruitment team. Settling in was very easy for me right from when I entered the country till now – I never felt left out.

"The accommodation was comfortable, the bus pass helped me in navigating my way around and the account opening session all contributed to making me feel at home already."

Patience Ekuna from Ghana, added that the support was "welcoming" and helped to ease the stress of settling in.

Philomina Kissibugum, also from Ghana, said: "Using HSBC UK bank has been made very simple with the app. Transferring money is also easy, with no long queues.

"National Express really helped when we were trying to get our accommodation and any time we got lost we could easily get on the bus.

"Our free accommodation was top notch, as was our house manager. She was approachable and always checking on us. I feel very glad and fortunate to have these benefits."