Arbtalk 2015 General Election Poll

[kevinjohnsonmbe]

I definitely don't think the generous off time exists in the NHS . Mrs R has been having her regulation 2 days then 9 days straight . Her shifts patterns are also hilarious getting home at 10 pm with a five am start the next day . So generous off time definitely does not exist for nurses I afraid

 

Understood Richie, it was a situation that I'd been given to understand might be the case but I had no personal knowledge from which to draw any conclusions. Brother of a mate is planning to resign, sell up, move to Portugal and come back for a fraction of the work time on agency and make as much as he was busting his nuts on long shifts etc.

 

I get your point about the obvious need for more full time permanent staff. Short term agency staff to fill unforeseen deficiencies is perhaps much more understandable than long term reliance to back fill permanent staff deficiencies.

 

There is a striking similarity here though, and perhaps the public are being misled about the demon status of self employed agency staff being on a higher day rate than a PAYE employee. It's not possible to compare "like for like" as Adam has described in his essay on the virtues of the employed over the self employed. Employed staff cost considerably more through their capitation rate than they actually see in their pay packet.

 

I've been pondering this situation for a while, maybe an FOI to the local NHS trust would show how many agency are also full time PAYE.

 

I guess my beef is not with the NHS but with the way it is used and abused by politics and the press to further specific political aims. It's the misinformation that grips me most. Well that, and some of the people that we've seen whilst in hospital that seem to think it's a hotel rather than a health service. We have always left a card and chocolates for the team when we've left, and without exception been eternally grateful for the service we've received. Bless 'em.

[kevinjohnsonmbe]

I don't know the answer to this, but I have a couple of friends / acquaintances that support the notion through personal experience.

 

I've no desire to bash the NHS, we've had our share of superb service from angels, but there seems to be a total aversion in political circles (understandable) but also general conversation to any comment that infers any criticism of the NHS.

 

I have a question, maybe someone with more first hand knowledge will be able to answer better than the minor / anecdotal information I have.

 

If the current "demon" is agency staff servicing NHS gaps through recruitment agencies, how many of those "demon agency staff" are actually full time NHS employees utilising their union ring fenced, public sector luxury "rest days" to earn maybe twice as much doing the same job (when they should be resting) through agency work?

 

I know several that do, and get paid royally for it. Are we actually going to discover that the so preciously guarded terms and conditions are actually just a pith take? (like the fire service holding down second jobs during generous off watch time.)

 

I genuinely hope someone "in the know" can say this is not the case?

 

 

 

 

 

Good points, well made. I'm reluctant to agree with someone twice in a day:biggrin: but what can you do?

 

Don't fight it Mick! I'll try not to do it again!! :thumbup1:

[breffni]

What's the future of the NHS? All the parties promise more and more funding but where does it end? How big should the NHS budget be? The population is getting older so the strain isn't going to reduce

[kevinjohnsonmbe]

What's the future of the NHS? All the parties promise more and more funding but where does it end? How big should the NHS budget be? The population is getting older so the strain isn't going to reduce

 

 

 

All too difficult and controversial for a 5 year term government to even want to effectively address.

 

For the sake of the country & the NHS surely a cross party committee should be devolved responsibility for a long term plan?

[breffni]

All too difficult and controversial for a 5 year term government to even want to effectively address.

 

For the sake of the country & the NHS surely a cross party committee should be devolved responsibility for a long term plan?

 

As good an idea as anything else I've read. Something needs to be done soon I think.