New to the NHS

Overview

• NHS England: Fit for the Future: 10 Year Health Plan for England.
• The King’s Fund: The Health and Care Act: six key questions (May 2022).
• The King’s Fund: Integrated care systems: how will they work under the Health and Care Act? (May 2022).

Terminology

• NHS Confederation: Acronym Buster – dictionary of commonly used acronyms in the NHS.
• NHS: Abbreviations you may find in your health record – common medical abbreviations.

Working in the NHS

• Agenda for Change – terms and conditions, current pay scales, job evaluation, and more.
• ESR – log in to access your staff record and e-learning.
• NHS Email – log in to your NHS.net email.
• NHS Jobs – search and apply for jobs in the NHS.
• NHS Pension – find information about the NHS pension scheme.
• ​NHS Employers – news, updates, and resources for employers in the NHS.

Video: How does the NHS in England work and how is it changing?

The video below provides an overview of the organisations that make up the NHS. This video was produced before the announcement that NHS England will be brought back into the Department of Health and Social Care.

• NHS England – North West: Information for International Doctors.
• NHS England: Resources for International Medical Graduates (IMGs) across the Midlands (updated July 2024).
• HEE (NHS England): Induction for International Medical Graduates (IMGs) new to the UK – good practice guidance and checklist (February 2023).
• E-Learning: Welcoming and Valuing International Medical Graduates: A guide to induction for IMGs recruited to the NHS.
• NHS Employers: Support information for international nurses and midwives (June 2025).

For more English language resources, visit our English Language Toolkit.

• Healthy English – online activities and explanations to help you develop your English language and communication skills for the health and care context.
• Royal College of Nursing: Guide to common English expressions.
• OET: Living the Language: Your guide to English usage in British life and work – Nurses’ edition and Doctors’ edition.
• List of local slang words and phrases.