A new conference, the Healthcare Recruitment and Training Fair, comes at a time when doctors are beginning to see new opportunities under the GP Forward View, the ambitious NHS target of recruiting an additional 5,000 GPs by 2020. This is spurring on a number of initiatives adopting new approaches to recruitment and retention.  NHS England has been providing updates on its Targeted Investment in Recruiting Returning Doctors Scheme, and the GP National Recruitment Office overseen by Health Education England is offering one-off bursaries of £20,000 to GP trainees under its Targeted Enhanced Recruitment Scheme in England. 
"Recruitment shows are a popular and effective way of filling vacancies quickly," said Dr Tahira Rashid, Head of Development at Informa Life Sciences Exhibitions. "These one stop solutions have proven to be the ideal way to fill current vacancies in the shortest time while delivering training to enhance the retention of good employees."

A range of clinical and non-clinical conferences being held alongside the General Practice Conference. It is one of 18 conferences taking place during the new Healthcare Recruitment & Training Fair, which runs from September 15-17 2016 at ExCel London. The GP conference will take place on the Saturday so that GPs are better able to attend.

The Healthcare Recruitment & Training Fair is expected to appeal to GPs, nurses and other professionals working across the healthcare sector. Other clinical areas with dedicated conferences which will be of particular interest to primary care health professionals include: diabetes, paediatrics, dermatology, cardiology, orthopaedics, and obstetrics and gynaecology. Also taking part are a number of overseas and international organisations who are particularly keen to recruit UK-trained doctors, including representatives from Western Australia, and Gulf Region hospitals in Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Riyadh, and Doha. The Cleveland Clinic will also be represented.

In addition, a number of conferences are aimed at improving recruitment and retention strategies, and the wider aspect of career progression. For example, the Placement and Specialist Selection Workshop, also on September 17, includes a session on how to approach the medical specialist application form and prepare the perfect medical CV. Also running alongside the conferences is a healthcare recruitment fair with exhibitors representing a range of trusts, clinical commissioning groups, and healthcare service providers from around the UK. Over 400 jobs vacancies are being promoted by employers including University College Hospital London, Kings College Hospital, and Whittington Health.