Addenbrooke’s Hospital has proven that age is no object for its staff, scooping a prestigious award for its commitment to employing staff of all ages.

Addenbrooke’s was the winner from the East of England in the ‘Employer’ category at the Age Positive Awards run by the Department of Work and Pensions, which promote positive employment practices. As part of its application, the hospital had to demonstrate that it recruited, retained and developed staff of all ages.

The hospital runs several schemes to ensure that a wide cross-section of people have the chance to work there. The Opportunities Scheme encourages recruitment from all sections of society, including older and younger workers, while the Secondment to Nurse/Midwifery Training Scheme allows staff who have worked at Addenbrooke’s for over a year and have studied for an NVQ level two or three in healthcare can apply to be seconded to train as a qualified nurse or midwife. Candidates receive a salary as they work and study towards qualification. Those benefiting from the scheme include older workers who might not otherwise have been able to afford to train.

The Nurse Cadet Scheme enables school leavers at 16 to train as nurses, based at the hospital, while at the other end of the spectrum, flexible retirement allows staff to retire early if they wish and return to work on a part-time basis.

Keith Day, Trust Secretary, who benefited from the flexible retirement scheme, said: “I worked for 40 years in the NHS and latterly was Administrative Director for the Trust until September 2004 when I retired and came back to work part time as Trust Secretary; the flexible retirement option of being able to “wind down” has meant I didn’t have to retire completely, which would have been hard to get accustomed to but gradually, in preparation for full retirement in due course. I can still use my expertise at work but also have more time now to pursue my outside interests.”

Department for Work and Pensions Minister, James Purnell, commented: “The Age Positive Awards prove that attitudes towards age in the UK are changing. Our individual nominees demonstrate that age is irrelevant when it comes to career and business success. We also received nominations from a number of high profile employers proud of the role that ability, rather than age, plays in their employment practices. Our winners not only demonstrate that ageist stereotypes should be consigned to the rubbish heap, but also that a workforce of varied ages benefits business.”

Monica Jacot and Linda Hering from the hospital’s human resources department were presented with a trophy at a special ceremony in London on 10 May.

 

Please note: The Nurse Cadet Scheme is no longer running. (24 July 2009)

 

Last updated: 24 July 2009