NHS bosses are casting their nets thousands of miles around the world in a bid to get new doctors, nurses and therapists.

East Sussex Healthcare NHS Trust said national shortages in some staff areas meant it has to look overseas.

It said many other NHS organisations have to do the same in order to fill vacancies.

A report to the trust board revealed the trust was visiting Qatar to recruit for accident and emergency departments.

It was also sourcing candidates from South Africa, Pakistan, the Middle East and Europe for both medical and nurse vacancies.

Seven nurses from Italy started at the trust in April and a further nine will arrive in May.

Successful recruitment campaigns have also been held in the Philippines.

The trust has also appointed an agency to recruit occupational therapists and physiotherapists in Portugal.

Bosses are considering taking on staff from Australia through job board or Skype interviews.

Trust director of human resources Monica Green said as well as looking further afield, efforts to actively find staff from within the UK were continuing.

She said: “Recruiting to our vacant posts means that we will rely less on the use of temporary staff, saving on the costs associated with this.

“We use approved agencies to support our overseas recruitment and they source the candidates and undertake the preliminary vetting stage.

“Trust staff then conduct face to face interviews to ensure that candidates are proficient in their professional standards of care and demonstrate the trust’s values in their behaviour.”

Other hospital trusts in Sussex have carried out successful recruitment campaigns in Europe and further afield.

However it emerged last month there are fears the Brexit decision could lead to some EU staff deciding to leave the country.

It could also make it difficult for NHS trusts to encourage medics and nurses from the EU to come to the UK to work.

British Medical Association (BMA) research suggests four in ten European doctors are considering leaving Britain.

The BMA warned it could spell “disaster” as the NHS was already facing “crippling staff shortages”.

About 10,000 doctors who work in the NHS – which is about 6.6 per cent of the UK medical workforce – qualified in Europe.

The doctors’ union polled 1,193 doctors from the European Economic Area who are working in the UK.

They told researchers they felt “less committed” to working in the UK following the referendum.

They also felt less supported by the government.