Launched at St George's and Epsom and St Helier hospitals in May 2024, Ask Aunty offers tailored support to overseas staff as they adapt to their new environment, using experienced personal mentors and an app.

The programme was spearheaded by the hospitals' group chief nurse Professor Arlene Wellman, who came to the UK from Trinidad in 1996.

She said: ‘Things are much better for international nurses now but we wanted to develop Ask Aunty as there is still room to improve their experience.

‘The NHS is really dependent on our international nurses to help care for our patients and this app will really help them navigate life in the UK and at work.'

The mentoring element of the programme brings experienced colleagues, known as aunties or uncles, together with newly-arrived staff to provide personal and professional guidance.

In addition, the app offers vital resources such as wellbeing support, training opportunities, professional development, and accommodation assistance.

Melissa Berry, director of diversity, equality and inclusion at NHS South West London, which part funded the project initially, said: ‘Ask Auntie is a unique and forward-thinking way of supporting staff that deserves celebrating. Part of it is peer support – simple things like showing someone where they can buy local food, where they can pray – those things mean a lot.

‘We have a lot of staff who come from overseas but many leave us after a couple of years because they didn't have a good experience. But we want them to stay. It's great to see that this local initiative is going to support more international staff across the capital.'