Declining job offer this late in the process

[MeredithG]

I am currently in college trying to get my qualifications to get into uni (maths and possibly access course if I pass my maths this year)

I applied for a job within the NHS at a small community hospital a few months back, so I could gain experience within the NHS before doing a nursing degree.

I got offered the job at the interview and accepted. This was April 8th, I assumed by the end of April I would have started.

The process has been never ending, the paperwork involved is ridiculous. It’s finally coming to an end and I’ve just paid £48 for my DBS.
I was given my induction date but I have an exam that day so I can’t go, given another same situation. (They know I’m doing my maths) The only one I can do is July 1st.

AIBU in declining now?
It’s only bank shifts, my plan was to work as much as possible until the summer holidays and work a lot less during and then pick it up again once the kids are back in school. But we are now also looking to move 30 minutes away, which we probably would have held off if things went according to my plan.

3 months is a long time to wait to start a new job and if I was depending on the job it would be even more ridiculous.

I’d want to work with the NHS again, so I don’t want them to think I’m bad news but it seems pointless to start in July and I should just wait until I move rather than starting, then leaving within a few months.

Any job that requires enhanced DBS will take a few months I'm not sure what you expected.

I've never known and NHS job to take less than 8 weeks, and I've know them to take over 6 months

My most recent enhanced DBS took less than two weeks.

ZippyBungleandGeorge I’ve had two jobs that required an enhanced DBS, once I’ve received it (usually two weeks) I’ve started so that’s not the case.

UnicornBrexit but I’ve never applied for a job with the NHS so how was I to know? It wasn’t mentioned in the interview.

I accepted a job at NHS a few years ago in May and didn’t get to start until July. The reason for the delay was because all the inductions were at capacity so the next available one wasn’t until July.

Off point but why are you paying for your DBS? When I’ve done them the NHS pay (I think there was some code from the Trust that I used during online process).

Take it, remain bank staff so you can always catch some extra hours over holidays etc

Good luck!! Hope you get your degree course, but having a job too really helps 😎

The NHS doesn't pay for DBSs anymore. You either pay up front or it comes out of your first salary. This is for every nhs organisation in my area anyway. But the process can be very lengthy. I've once been 12 weeks in the nhs from interview to start date.

I'd take it, if you are bank staff you can refuse hours if they don't suit yes? And you might find it handy to have a few shifts over the summer. Let them know you are not able to take as much as you thought as you did not know the jobs would take so long to actually happen! Maybe then they can warn the next person.

That's a fairly standard timeline for a lot of NHS - I applied in December, interviewed in Jan and started Apr when I applied for an internal post!

Most NHS jobs seem to take ages. My recent enhanced DBS only took a couple of weeks. With bank work I don't think it matters so much but probably after all this waiting is worth persisting if they can get you on the next induction?

If you have signed up to NHSP you will be able to pick up work with different Trusts if you've moved. Probably worth being honest and saying you had no idea it would take this long and your circumstances have changed but you have x, y and z availability if that is any use to them.

Wow thank you for the swift replies.
I didn’t realise that is the standard timeline, most jobs I’ve had, want you in ASAP.

I wouldn’t have taken the job had I known.

JoinTheDots I’m not sure if it’s the same as agency’s but when I was working for one on bank, I couldn’t do a few shifts they asked me to do (even though I told them I couldn’t get childcare on a moments notice) they just stopped giving me shifts. I couldn’t go through that again.

kbPOW how do I sign up? that would be ideal.

@Meredith - the NHS is incompetent from start to finish

Pay the extra £13 annually to make your DBS roaming. It covers you for working anywhere then

I’ve just accepted an NHS job and didn’t pay for DBS. My last DBS checks took between 3 days and 7 days. They have done my occupational health clearance and expect me to be starting next month, waiting on DBS and 3 years of references. But I don’t have any notice period.

No wonder the NHS is falling apart. What ridiculous time and resource wasting bureaucracy.

Thanks all, I’m going to explain that my hours will be significantly lower than I hoped but they will go up again come September!

The NHS is very bureaucratic. I’ve heard of recruitment taking months!

They seem to employ loads of admin/clerical staff. My local Trust has 20 vacancies at the moment and it’s not a huge area. The hospital and community service seems to be the largest employer in the area.