Our placements cover both clinical and non‑clinical areas, giving young people the chance to explore the many diverse careers within the NHS. Whether you’re interested in nursing, administration, customer service, hospitality, research, or any of the many other essential roles that keep our services running, we’re here to help you take your first step.
By joining us at The Christie for a placement, you’ll gain valuable insight into the healthcare environment, develop new skills, and learn from experienced professionals who are passionate about what they do.
After you send in an application form, this will be reviewed, and you may be added to our waiting list. There is no guarantee you have a placement after returning a form. If we can confirm a placement, the team will provide regular communication via email so you can prepare for your visit.
A friendly reminder: It’s completely normal to feel nervous before coming into a hospital environment. But you won’t be alone, and we’ll support you through every step. Our goal is to give you a supportive, high‑quality experience where you can build confidence, learn new skills, and discover what it’s like to work in a world‑leading cancer hospital.
We welcome applications from all young people (14+) and are committed to supporting our local community. Because of this, we prioritise pre‑university applicants from the Greater Manchester area.
To apply, you should:
- Show a genuine interest in the NHS
- Have parent/carer consent if you are under 18, and permission from your school or college to attend
- Provide a short supporting statement explaining why you would like a placement at The Christie
Please note: all visitors are responsible for arranging their own travel, food expenses and looking after their personal belongings while on placement.
If you need any additional support during your placement and funding towards lunches, please speak with the team in advance so we can support however we can.
You will need to provide:
- A completed application form
- Photographic ID
- A professional reference letter (only required if you are not currently in school, college, or higher education)
At the end of the programme, you’ll receive a Certificate of Completion from The Christie Institute for Cancer Education, recognising your commitment to learning and your interest in careers in healthcare.
Full supervisor and student guidelines can be requested from the work experience team:
- Due to high demand and varying departmental capacity, there may be a waiting list and processing times may differ.
- Students aged 14 and over are welcome to apply for work experience placements at The Christie.
- Only students aged 17 and over at the start of their placement can enter clinical areas, and this will always be under supervision.
- A risk assessment and induction paperwork will be completed with your supervisor and the Work Experience Team on your first day.
- A DBS check is not required, as all placements are fully supervised and involve no unsupervised patient contact.
- Friends or relatives of Christie staff must follow the same application process. Informal or unplanned visits are not allowed.
- Placements may be withdrawn if any Trust or Institute policies are not followed.
To express your interest in a placement, please email christie.workexperience@nhs.net with the following information:
- Your full name
- Your age
- Your area of interest
- Your availability
- School/college details
- Please state if this is your first work experience placement
We encourage you to get in touch at least 3 months in advance to allow time for coordination and approvals.
Get in touch
All placements are coordinated by our dedicated work experience team. For more information or an informal chat, please email christie.workexperience@nhs.net, we’re happy to help.