NHS bank workers

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Since the basic rate for NHS Bank staff has been scrapped and increased by quite a bit! What do you think of it? It mainly applies to the day shifts.

Do you think full time staff will leave to do BANK permanently? I was looking today and it makes a huge difference similar to Weekend/night rates. For B2 and B3 imparticular.

I left my hca job on a ward and now bank. I can pick my own shifts still accrue holiday and work around my husband and kids it's a win win for me

Doctors absolutely should have their pay increased. Foundation years are shitty and general pay on the NHS is not reflective of responsibilities and the the job at all, at any grade. But once my friend completed her foundation years she did bank/locum work and got paid an eye watering amount per shift. So I don’t really understand the point being made.

I’m not aware of an increase in our Trust.

I work bank as a substantive staff member and get paid my substantive banding which is band 7. If I left I would struggle to negotiate even a band 6 post and it certainly wouldn’t get top band 6!

We do struggle to get HCA’s to do day shifts. Bank and agency staff prefer nights because they are less busy and it’s more money!

@groeggmeg

Foundation DRs have no choice. They HAVE to do Foundation, they HAVE to be full time ( except where they have caring responsibilities and the program will be lengthened), they have very little say where they are placed geographically irrespective of family ties/marriage/mortgage.

The point is junior docs are underpaid and often fill rota gaps that will never be filled, but instead are accepted. Paying for exams/indemnity/regulator/courses and the point is there are pastures greener. Point is all HCP pay should be uplifted.

Its the same for RN training. The work load is inmense and I've met many students with children and the responsibilities you have listed also. Many professions in fact get paid poorly or lower at least with a DR there's light at the end of the tunnel.

As a poster stated earlier I don't think these pay rates is a forever thing either.

Doctors work locum don't they?

They are not students though, they have already been through 5/6 years of undergraduate training.

it’s quite difficult to locum when your standard week is 48 hours and you cannot go part time.

And I don’t disagree junior doctors should be paid much more, but your first post felt like you were surprised a very junior doctor should get less hourly rate than myself for example. Who has climbed the pay scale, funded my own registration fees, my own indemnity insurance and my own study days to further my own knowledge. I’ve worked in my speciality for over 10 years and it my own specific field I’m way more skilled than a junior doctor, so my pay absolutely should reflect that.

But they could leave and purely locum, which is what the OP is talking about. People who leave a trust to just work bank, doctors can do that, and they will earn 4 times per shift the money we are speaking about.

Sorry quoted the wrong post there i was meant to quote crinklecuts post about the difficulty for doctors to do additional hours.

Any nurses i know who love the money do aesthetics and complete nursing degrees so they can do that.

But locum is excellent pay. I've known junior doctors bank also.. I've worked with them personally. If you work in healthcare a 48 hour week is standard for many people it's not just doctors. The end result of your training your on excellent money... its swings and roundabouts really.

After RNs have trained so brutally the money isn't really that great for the work they have put in... horses for courses.

This post was about B2 rates. Not RN.
OP said B2 bank rates were now £16 an hour. RNs should also be pretty upset that their regular salaries haven’t been uplifted.

So how much extra does this cost the taxpayer in terms of providing an NHS that works for patients?

I'm sorry wasn't it you that was comparing first? You made a comparison and I did too.

I think you have bypassed the issue here. The work load is so heavy for Band 2s nobody wants to do it. What does that tell you? Or do you think these pay increases are from sheer good will?

If I was Bank I would be reluctantl to pick a day shift on some wards because to do it long term its not sustainable and its not just the wards it's the staff a lot of the time. I'm happy to work on a busy ward as bank staff as long as the team is friendly but long term theses some places I would run a mile.

This isn't personal but if people see an opportunity your going to take it you can't knock anyone for that.

I'm not aware that bank rates have increased for registered staff? I'd do some more bank shifts if true. Currently can't afford to work at those rates, so do agency instead elsewhere.

The same taxpayers that are the ones working the bank shifts and paying out yet more tax?

The tax dodging government should be able to give you those figures. It’s not tax free work, I get taxed an additional 22.5% on all bank shifts and pay a second NI.

The ex-wife's wife was telling me some agencies are paying up to £50 per hr to cover some shifts. I
It's gone back to how it was pre-agency purge by the government 5-10 yrs ago when lots of staff were LTD. I believe it doesn't cost the taxpayer anything, what people see is the hiring rate, without, costs, sick-hol pay pension.

The NHS is a job for life but the basic pay is rubbish as are the shift patterns, especially when some managers refused flexible family-friendly rotas, in the name of fairness.

I am a trainee nurse associate and some of the amounts that are being paid to agency staff (particularly non nhs agency staff) are an absolute racket but the staffing situation is so dire the nhs is having to pay - it can't function without staff and in some areas no one wants to work there and agencies can take advantage of that . It needs a massive investment In improving pay and conditions for permanent staff otherwise more staff are going to move to the bank as it is a lot easier and more money .

Ex-wife, not ex-wife's wife.😂
Edit button fgs.

@Hrpuffnstuff1 I absolutely agree. There's no shifts in clinical areas where you can work 9-3 so it's brutal on the wards when you are a single parent also!. It's ridiculous that the NHS are so rigid and expect all parents to start at 7am and then wonder why they are paying excess ££££ ... no sympathy really.