NHS redeployment

[ScorchioScorchio]

I work for the NHS, and as from next week I'm being redeployed to work as a Healthcare Assistant to help cope with the expected peak of Covid-19. I'm very unlikely to be at the frontline of Covid treatment but I'll free up other, more experienced, healthcare workers to allow the fight to go on. Anyone else being redeployed?

Sorry if this is a silly question but not sure of the way it works here.

Is there a chance Midwives can be redeployed and change roles? In Australia (where I'm from but now live in UK) midwifery isn't a straight up professional and midwives must go through nursing first - or that used to be the case. My understanding is the most midwives are only trained in that field, not nursing.

Currently in my hospital ANYONE seems to be being redeployed into any role. They are trying to vaguely match skill sets but it's like the army, you get told where to go and you get no say. So midwives could be redeployed to adult wards to do nursing roles as best they can.

I work in a NHS genetics lab we are only going to be doing urgent testing to free up lab space, equipment and maybe staff to do covid-19 testing

ME!!! Been a Community nurse for my Trust for 21 years this year, 7 in a specialist role. Currently look after people with long term conditions to reduce admissions. There's 12 of us but only 5 working at the minute (all band 7s).

We are being redeployed to work within an extended IMT to facilitate discharge from hospital. We have induction training tomorrow at the local trust rehab centre. Mixed feelings about it. It'll be fab to work as a team with my colleagues as we are normally at different bases. Nervous about what the role will look like and how much value there will be in it.....we will see!

Yep- hv and waiting to see where will be placed. Child trained

Community mental health nurse expecting redeployment to the wards - 😱

Our HR team are flat out doing HR, to make sure everyone does in fact get paid. People can have extra hours too, if they want them. Same with finance, keeping up with it all.

Work in dentistry, been told to expect redeployment ...wait and see where I end up.

I know there will be a lot of sickness ahead but the wards are literally teaming with staff who have been redeployed into my hospital. Everywhere you go more people are turning up saying they've been redeployed there and need training. Poor ward managers are trying to balance skills and needs - it's impossible.

We've got 20 wards in my hospital - it seems the entire community trust have been told to work on those wards along with everyone in the acute hospital. It's just weird, it doesn't seem like we need this volume of podiatrists, paediatric AHPs, community physios / OTs, audiologists, Dentist's, community nurses etc all coming to help run the ward. Maybe it's just my neck of the woods but it feels like overkill currently. You can barely move on the ward for staff.

@thesunisoutout I guess it is good that they are there now while things are quieter so that they can get the lie of the land ahead of whatever is coming. Our trust is currently well staffed with empty beds but that won't be the case for long.

I have been re-deployed to help with education/training, then probably back to the wards. It has been 18 years since I was ward based, the 3 hour training session I attended last week did little to really prep me...god help us all😉

So would a dentist or any other professional being redeployed as a HCA be paid dentist wages or will they be taking a pay cut to HCA wages?

@redeyetonowheregood same in my hospital. Virtually no patients so there is no one really for the redeployed to learn from. Instead everyone is tripping over one another and in no way being able to practice social distancing. I'm just not sure chucking everyone who works in the NHS on to a ward and hoping somehow everyone gets through each shift regardless of their skill set will work.

@Sewrainbow in my trust you get paid your grade regardless. But if you act up, you have to be paid for it but it doesn't work the other way.

Do people have any thoughts on where those of us returning to the register will be asked to work or even if we'll actually be needed?

@Schmoozer Has that been mentioned in your trust? I'm in a CMHT. Been on the wards more recently than some of my colleagues but only some of us do Cloz clinic so assumed I'd be held back to do that

I'm salaried so am redeployed for my contracted hours at the same rate. If I want to take on extra hours they wouldn't be at the same rate (I wouldn't think so anyway) might be different for AfC staff.
I'd think midwives are still running an essential service so won't be deployed. I mean, you can't stop a baby coming! Would other AHPs be able to be trained up to assist you though if you have shortages from sickness?

Are admin staff being put into HCA roles at all?

I've been redeployed, I'm a specialist community nurse and have been put back to frontline community nursing.

It's been okay so far (but it's only been a week!)

How will it work if someone who has a clinical background, hasn't worked in a clinical setting for years and years?

For example a health visitor who has worked as a HV for 10 years and only worked as a nurse for 1 year before going into HV?

Surely they won't be familiar with clinical work, admissions, discharges, meds etc etc etc?

I'm an SLT and I work in schools. Not dysphagia trained and have never done hospital or clinic work. It looks like I am about to be redeployed as an HCA and have been invited to attend training courses to prepare for my new role - catheter care, stitch removal and wound care, pressure sore care. Each course is 60 or 90 minutes. Then I'll be sent somewhere where I will 'hopefully' be able to shadow another professional. I'm really worried as this can't be safe.

@koalabear73 that's really tough. It's one thing to be redeployed to wards to help with making beds, washing patients and assisting with meals but quite another to be doing the tasks you listed. Honestly, I'd say no if I didn't 100% think I could do it and had all the skills. People are being redeployed to non clinical areas if there background isn't hospital based but I guess those areas are like gold dust.

I'm being redeployed next week. I am a registered children's nurse and I've been in a non clinical role for 5 years. My previous role as a registered nurse was working in paeds intensive care. My current employer is sending me to work with adults in a community hospital as a Health Care Assistant. I'm feeling a little devalued that my skills don't appear to be put to use, having that particular skill set that you can really only gain in an intensive or surgical environment (mechanical ventilation/arterial lines/multi organ support). All I can think of is that adult services are requiring help moreso than children's itu. I work in a different city since I moved jobs but I know my old picu is training up ex employees to then work there, I was still working in my current job though so I couldn't really leave to go to a different trust!

Yup, I’m on my second redeployment already. Community physio/trainee ACP. Moved into supporting OOH with telephone triage/management of Covid patients for past three weeks. Yesterday shifted to hospital discharge service.
When our local surge happens I’ll be redeployed again into the hospital to do respiratory physio.
And I’m still expected to do my masters, submit all my assignments and revise for upcoming exams.
No wonder I’m drinking Gaviscon by the bucket load at the moment.

I have resigned as have been redeployed despite leaving clinical work in December due to ill health. My son recently came out of hospital and is immune compromised. I was expected to move out of my house leaving them with their dad who has never looked after them for more than a day. Never mind the fact that the accommodation would have cost half my wages. Devastated at the end of my career.

Yes I'm being redeployed from health visiting to ITU 🙈🙈
Terrified, start next week