Another NHS casualty

[Gotnopokerface]

I've worked so hard for years. I've 3 postgraduates and countless clinical hours under my belt. I've hugged hundreds of bereaved family members, I've held the hand of God know how many dying people, I've been covered in every bodily fluid, I've been hit, I've been threatened with death, equally I've had hundreds of thank you cards, more boxes of chocolates than I can count and trained hundreds of new staff. I've worked thousands upon thousands of hours looking after people and their families, many of them free of charge.
I can't do it anymore. Or rather I've finally realised I'm not willing to. I've just finished an 80 hour week as I work 2 people's jobs. Not take on extra responsibility, I mean I do my own clinical role, lead it, and manage an organisational change on top of that with nothing tangible to show for it except black bags under my eyes, a destroyed immune system and a family I barely see.
The NHS and their "transparent" system of recruitment is the reason I can't be awarded at least another band up without an actual job description etc being put out. Which is fine, there's obviously no sign of it as I'm doing the work at no extra cost. This same "transparent" system is how a guy I work with has been floating through the system from job to job as a manager even though I know he only interviewed for one acting up temp post. They keep on coming for him. I can't ask for a raise, it's all about the banding, and asking to be rebanded was a flat no.
Basically got told I'm doing a great job (I am. I have results, I have increased patient satisfaction, I have tangible evidence of change and improvement) but I'll have to continue at what I'm at.
So I quit. I'm off to the private sector to become an educator, and be given bonuses when I do well, have a family friendly employer, an opportunity to develop myself and have the chance to feed off some enthusiasm from undergrads who have yet to have their will to live sucked out of them.

Yes the NHS is struggling to get new recruits, but the harsh reality of is it's rapidly losing its highly trained clinicians to the private sector.

I'm sad about this. I grew clinically through the NHS. I've given more than a pound of flesh and I've been willing to keep giving, but it's not viable anymore. This is entirely a rant, but I know I'm not alone.

So you are jumping out of the fire into the frying pan....Ive nursed for near on 40 years and left the NHS for the private sector a few years ago. Do not believe the hype of it being better, its still short staffed, the patients are more demanding because they are paying, there is really limited back up so when things go wrong patients are shifted back/to the NHS for ICU care, the promised bonuses are non existent due to the unachievable criteria you have to meet, consultants speak to you like you dirt (not all of them)the heirarchy/managers expect respect, but talk to you like dirt, it is also a very easy place to become deskilled...ive recently retired, but wish i had never left the NHS tbh....I do hope your experience is different to mine (and my collegues) but unless things have changed recently I cant see it

I work frontline NHS and my speciality is hemorrhaging staff at the moment. They could eventually replace the staff. However, they can't replace the years of experience that has left/retired/transferred the department.

Good luck OP.

but I wondered if having left and knowing there are not people to replace you it would worry you being treated

^

Seriously? Reverse guilt psychology now? What the what?

@managedmis that was absolutely not my intention and I apologise if that is how it came across.

I have heard the same story coming from so many sources that I genuinely just wondered what state this left the NHS actually in currently, as I am fortunate enough to have not needed their care recently and have no recent personal experience.

Thank you OP for giving some context in how the current situation is playing out.

OP I am happy for you! Life is simply too short to be used and abused at work. As soon as I finish my specialty training I am moving abroad.

You have given all you can. It's time to look after yourself and your family.
I went private, better money for me, as after being a nurse since 1983 and having worked and gained further qualifictions abroad, I was taken back on in the NHS as bottom band 5 like a newly qualified nurse. The whole thing is shameful.
I started on top band 5 in private and have had two pay rises since then.

It's still amazing to me after what I went through to see the arrogance and "lack of insight", of the British people. Do what is best for you. No matter how much you devote yourself there are so many that refuse to appreciate your efforts, but for those who do appreciate you, we want to see you happy. Do what you want and feel is best, you've been in the trenches long enough. Time to smell the roses. Love you always.

Good for you OP and I hope you really enjoy your new job. I’m retired after 40 years of nursing. I left the NHS years ago and continued nursing with an oncology charity. IMO NHS nursing is the most unsupportive area in which I’ve worked. There is absolutely no support from management, in fact they’d rather throw you to the dogs. The NMC is no better while taking increasing amounts of our money and expecting us to jump through hoops. At least before afc there was a reasonable chance of advancing upwards but now, employers use it as a tool to keep you where you are. More and more the public treat you like shit and you get both verbal and in some cases physical abuse. Nowadays, nursing is a thankless task and utterly demoralising. I so enjoyed the early years of my career but I’m so very grateful I’m not nursing now. Best of luck to you. You’re doing the right thing.

I understand. I stopped nursing and went to work in a supermarket where, given the amount of unpaid overtime nursing demanded, I earned more ph. It wasn’t just that though. It was the lack of support, the blame culture and the responsibility, which was too great when you’re under so much pressure. I loved being a nurse, but it’s not sustainable in the current climate.
DH worked in the NHS as a dr for 30 years. The cuts to his mental health service were so severe he felt he could no longer do his job properly or safely. We’re now in Australia where he earns over twice what he was earning in a well funded and resourced service. The working conditions are so much better for him, even though he works as hard - the extra money is a bonus.

I don't believe sympathy was being asked for @Teddybear45.
You obviously have minimal knowledge or experience of working for the NHS and as such your reply was nothing but rude.
The downgrading of the banding process within the NHS has led to staff being expected/forced to undertake more roles, greater responsibility and manage enhanced risks without the financial reward or post promotion that is seen within the private sector.
Managers are being employed with minimal to no clinical experience and are so far removed from the consequences of their "business" decisions that they fail to understand the unsustainable pressure that they place on frontline staff.
The NHS is crumbling and unfortunately the majority of the general public are standing by and allowing it to happen.

Good luck with your new job. I think a change is as good as a rest in terms of revitalizing your career, you don't want to do the same thing for decades anyway.

I'm not sure all is rosy in academia or the private sector (not sure what that job is)- but I do think it's easier to push back once you are well-established and you are delivering what they need. I don't work 80 hours in that sector although some of my colleagues claim to do so.