Work Experience
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Applications for 2024 work experience placements are now closed.
The work experience application process at SASH for 2024 opened on Monday 8th January 2024 at 9am. Due to very high demand, our work experience placements are now closed to new applicants as we have received sufficient applications to fill the available 150 spaces we have at SASH. Unfortunately, this means that the Education team are unable to accept any new applicant requests. We are sorry for any inconvenience caused.
To those who have applied, your responses will be reviewed by the Education, Learning & Organisation Development Team and you will be contacted if your application has been successful. Unfortunately, a placement is not guaranteed. In the meantime, we politely ask you to please not contact the office in regards to your application status as the information provided will not differ from the information on this webpage. If there are any changes to your application whether this be a change of dates or you no longer wish to partake in work experience please do notify us via email to [email protected].
The next application window will be in January 2025 for April-October placements. Please see the details below regarding the work experience at East Surrey Hospital and further career resources with information on ways to gain NHS experience.
We recognise the value of work experience for gaining insight into NHS careers and we look forward to receiving your application. Please check back on this webpage in late 2024 for information regarding the 2025 work experience process.
Apply Here!
Application process will open January 2025!
Click on the following link to apply: Apply
Work experience at East Surrey Hospital
Surrey and Sussex Healthcare have been one of the only organisations to reopen for work experience placements since the pandemic, we were delighted to be able to offer over 100 students a work experience placement across clinical, administrative and technical areas for 2023.
Work experience provides an opportunity to gain insight through observation into the many roles available within the NHS.
At East Surrey Hospital we offer 2-5 day work experience placements from April-October each year. Please note work experience placements are based at East Surrey Hospital in Redhill and placements are unpaid. The Trust will not meet any costs of travel, subsistence, parking or accommodation. Please be aware work experience is popular and always oversubscribed, we therefore cannot guarantee a placement. Early applications are encouraged. If you haven’t received a response within eight weeks of the application process closing then unfortunately your application has been unsuccessful.
Work Experience Departments
We offer students the chance to shadow staff in a wide variety of job roles and areas, both clinical and non-clinical. The departments who offer work experience vary per year due to organisational reasons but can include medicine, nursing, pharmacy, physiotherapy, estates & facilities and radiography.
Departments who are offering placement in 2024 are:
- Radiology
- Trauma & Orthopaedics
- Medicine – Care of the Elderly
- Urology
- Occupational Therapy
- Dietetics
- Physiotherapy
- Pharmacy
- Dental
- Acute Medical Unit
- Cardiology
- Pathology Lab
Placement departments are subject to change and in some circumstances, we may be able to accommodate areas not listed, if students have a particular field of interest.
Restricted Areas
Work experience will not be offered in the following areas, nor should you visit any of these areas if undertaking work experience in another department:
- Maternity
- GU medicine
- Theatres
- Mortuary
- Paediatrics
Eligability
Students must be a minimum of 16 years of age, however, there is no upper age limit and we are happy to provide opportunities to those considering a change in career.
The trust has put in place the following age restrictions to ensure applicants are able to cope with the physical and emotional elements of the placement.
Testimonials
What you can expect from us:
You will be allocated a named contact who will guide you through your placement. You will work alongside a team of people dedicated to offering you a taste of life within a healthcare environment and to answering your questions.
Placements are largely observational due to the nature of the environment.
Below is a list of potential tasks you may be able to participate in:
Shadowing Nursing Assistant / Nurse
- Assisting with bed making
- Assit with menus at meal times and refreshment distribution
- Talking to patients
- Learning to communicate with colleagues, patients and visitors
- Observing minor medical procedures
- Watch observation taking
- Observe drug round, completion of fluid chart, simple dressings and staff handover
- Attend team / multidisciplinary team meetings
- Attend ward round
- Observe the nurse discharging the patient
- Obtain results from computer under supervision
Shadowing Ward Clerk
- Talk to ward clerk and find out what the job involves
- Answer the phone
- Assist with filing
- Input data on computer with the ward clerks supervision
Shadowing Administration
- Filing
- Photocopying, preparing document packs
- Answering the phone
- Meet and greet visitors
- Take minutes at meetings
- Prepare spreadsheets
- Date inputting
- Attend meetings
Radiology
- Talk to the radiologist and find out about what the role involves
- Introduction to the equiptment used within the department
- Observe a radiographer treating a patient
Shadowing a Physiotherapist
- Talk to the Physiotherapist and find out about what the role involves
- Observe clinics
- Observe treating of patients
Shadowing a Doctor / Consultant
- Talk to the doctor and find out about what the role involves
- Observe clinics
- Observe patient consultations
- Discuss different medical specialities