NHS are not giving my wife any uniform AIBU?

[filletofishmeal]

My wife started her job in March, and within the first week the uniform was ordered. She chased this up in May and was initially told that she did not order any, and then after my wife insisted she has the uniform lady admitted she ordered the wrong size. It is now June and she asked for an update today, and was told that it is not coming anytime soon.

We have collectively spent over £100 on uniform, and she needs to buy summer outfits for work ( which is part of her dress code and was ordered 3 months in advance). She says that there is no one to complain to as there is only 1 person in the department, so she can get away with not doing anything. She never picks up her phone and ignores people's messages, basically waiting for her pension to kick in !

AIBU for saying that the NHS should really give her the promised uniform, as I don't really fancy spending another £100 when it is down to their laziness.

Well she has to, but it comes out of her pocket and with all the cost of living crisis I find it unreasonable. National Insurance hikes, my petrol costs have increased by 40% and then being expected to buy this as well.

Last sentence: because it comes out of our bank account. It shouldn't have to.

@filletofishmeal I bought her some black trousers and white blouses,

So kind of you...

As above, can't she obtain scrubs from theatres in the meantime? When covid hit I ordered my own scrubs due to shortages, it's about £25 a pair online. They wash and dry super fast so you only really need 3 pairs for a 5 day week. Hardier than trousers and a blouse. We don't wear uniform so I've always paid for my own clothes. I understand the frustration since the manager has mucked up but it's not the end of the world paying for clothes? Everyone does.

Also LOL at her thinking it's too hot for a blouse, wait till she gets the lovely polyester tunic. Also clerical staff wear blouses as the uniform?

I thought my national insurance hike was meant to help pay for things like this though so hopefully it will get better. Sounds like they need to fire the person in charge of uniform and hire someone more organised.

Can the union offer support?

Sorry but your wife needs to escalate this to her manager, in our trust summer uniforms are optional. This is not down to you or your wife to sort. I order for our team, some staff purchased their own uniform as they wanted a specific items from specific suppliers which I could not guarantee, this was their choice. As others have said lead times can be huge, in some instances I have bought scrubs as a temporary measure.

Scrubs.

I bought her some black trousers and white blouses

Maybe splitting hairs, but as she has an income from NHS could she buy herself some white tee shirts?

I don't know any NHS jobs that provide 'summer uniforms'??

She will have to wear trousers anyway if she is clinical, or tights at least and then a couple of white t-shirts from tesco? Annoying yes but not the end of the world.

I am awaiting uniform for my job and have 1 pair of trousers for £14 and a couple of blouses.

Maybe her NHS income is shit

Why is your wife disliked around the trust and how do you know this?

Seems a bit of a strange thing to say....

Your child or wife?

Ignore my last comment I realise it's the uniform person who is disliked !!!

I'm pretty sure this isn't entirely correct.
I'm clinical nhs and if uniform isn't available we can wear scrubs. Non clinical staff don't have to wear uniform. Admin staff who are patient facing just wear office wear which you'd have to buy if you worked elsewhere.
What is her role?

You've said you think your DW isn't wanting to rock the boat with her managers.

My advice would be to support your DW by dropping this and supporting her. If I had my DP aggrieved by this it would be just adding to my stress level.

I get money is tight but as other posters have said reasonably priced clothes can be bought.

It is what it is - shes in a new role and doesn't want to create drama. I get that.

Plus, i thought everyone understood the strain on the NHS at the moment; I guess it extends to uniform.

So you paid £75 of your own money. That is nearly her daily wage.

Maybe the money that we could have spent on this could actually go to cost of living or stuff like saving up for a deposit etc.

Your NI hike goes towards privatising the NHS and care homes.

The strain of NHS isn't her concern or worry. That is an issue which is many pay grades above her or an average worker.

I bought her some black trousers and white blouses, but she now needs summer clothes as it is too hot to wear the blouses.

How did this occur, can you expand on the purchase of the trousers and blouses. Did you go out together, we’re they ordered online, how did it happen?

I honestly don’t understand the drama or angst here. If her uniform hadn’t arrived she can just go in her normal clothes, grab a pair of scrubs and put them on, change back into her normal clothes at the end of the day. Repeat until uniform arrives. Not difficult.

This is really odd. It’s paid-for uniforms for patient facing and certain clinical staff here (or temporary alternatives such as student uniforms or other uniforms with name and job title bases until the uniform arrives). Have they not provided her with an alternative in the meantime?

What is her role exactly?

I don’t get this at all. What’s her actual job role? If she’s an NHS employee she will have a hierarchy of managers and HR to escalate this problem. At our hospital all clinical employees get plain scrubs until their uniforms arrive, clerical staff wear their own smart office type clothes.

Badges not bases

Controlling much

@filletofishmeal So you paid £75 of your own money. That is nearly her daily wage.

I did. I bought them in April 2020 and they're still going strong so it was a good investment. It's also a chunk out of my daily wage so not sure what your point is. Also not sure how trousers and blouses can be done in after 3 months, your wife must be very hard on clothes.

Look. either your wife contacts her manager/her manager's manager, or she provides her own. Or she could try to obtain scrubs from theatres like some of us have suggested (and you've ignored). This is part and parcel of working for NHS/public sector. It's all a bit shit and it's not how it should be, but it's how it is. If you're going to get blood pressure over something as minor as this, you're in for a hard life.