NURSES have starred in adverts on the London Underground and transport network in a bid to attract staff to Dorset.

Healthcare chiefs have spent £90,000 on the campaign because they are struggling to fill more than 100 vacancies, forcing them to shell out millions a year on agency staff.

Billboards are going up across the capital and posters are being displayed on buses and the underground in a major attempt to draw in new talent.

Dorset Healthcare (DHUFT) last year spent £12 million on covering vacant posts so that it could deliver vital services. It is hoping that, through a range of measures including the advertising campaign, it can halve this cost for 2016/17.

Currently, there are 111 vacancies- 64 of them nurses.

The average salary for a Band 5 nurse is between £21,909 to £28,462.

But covering a Band 5 nurse post with agency can cost between £20 to £135 per hour.

Dorset HealthCare staff took part in the recruitment drive which will run over the next three months to fill vacancies in the trust in nursing and other key roles including occupational therapists and physiotherapists.

Director of Nursing and Quality Fiona Haughey said: “We chose London because we’ll be able to reach a huge number of people throughout the campaign. Our own staff tell us the lifestyle change attracted them to Dorset. I came here from London 26 years ago to do my health visitor training and I’ve never left.

The recruitment drive comes as like other NHS trusts across the country, Dorset HealthCare has struggled to recruit to key posts.

In February, a local campaign in Dorset will launch to highlight the range of different roles available.

Fiona added: ““We have a wide range of roles available – from nursing to catering and estates to therapy. We know we’re competing against trusts across the UK but we have a lot to shout about. We’re very proud of our services and our staff and we’d like to find more great people to join us.”

For more information go to the recruitment campaign website at www.joindhc.co.uk