GCSE pupils are being enticed into careers as medical secretaries through marketing campaigns at supermarkets across Oxfordshire.

Children aged between 14 and 16 are being targeted by NHS managers, who believe the new scheme could eventually boost the number of clerical staff in county hospitals.

Recruitment staff at the Oxford Radcliffe Hospitals NHS Trust, which is responsible for the John Radcliffe, the Churchill and the Radcliffe Infirmary, in the city, and The Horton, Banbury, hope students' parents may also be tempted by the scheme.

There is a constant demand for medical secretaries, who work for hospital consultants.

Although there are 140 posts across the trust's four sites, five per cent of them are currently vacant.

Head of human resources Theresa Hill said: "We have been doing roadshows in supermarket car parks across Oxfordshire, trying to target 14 to 16-year-olds. We believe, if we can get them in young enough, we can offer in-house training and lots more will be encouraged to join.

"Often parents seem interested and we can get secretarial positions through them too.

"We have recently been inviting careers officers to see us, because I don't think there is a broad knowledge of what careers we actually have to offer school leavers in our hospitals."

Ms Hill said the supermarket roadshows, which are also used to encourage former nurses to return to work, were very successful and were something the trust was keen to continue.

It is also developing strong links with school careers advisors through a work experience scheme.