To continue TTC with new job (NHS)

[GesmereldaWeatherwax]

DH (36) and I (34) are currently TTC, we've had various setbacks with starting to try but finally thought we'd got into a good place. We've got known fertility difficulties but GP won't do any further tests or referrals until we've been trying for a full year.

However, I'm currently a Band 5 nurse in the NHS and recently applied for a Band 6 not expecting it to go anywhere tbh. But I've been offered the job so will be moving hospitals in January and having a 6 month probation with the new hospital. I really don't want to stop TTC and neither does DH. I'd still be entitled to OMP even if we conceive before I move or shortly after moving due to NHS continuous service but I'm worried about the probation period. If we wait until I've passed probation, we'll be waiting another 9 months to get back to trying again.

Would we BU to keep trying? Anyone have any advice or been in this situation?

You can’t control conception. What will be will be!!

They can’t not pass your probation due to needing mat leave. Make sure you do everything right so that they have zero reason to get to get rid of you. In my nhs trust we do 3 month probation meetings and then again at 6 before passing someone. Any issues in the 6 month one have normally already been discussed at the 3 month point.
congratulations on your job :)

You wont get full OMP if only in new trust 6 months despite the continuous service, check the maternity policy for the exact amounts.

If you can cope on reduced mat pay crack on. Most people pass probation in the NHS it’s really hard to fail it as long as your sickness record is good. NHS is also a stable job.

You appear to be able to string a sentence together so seems very likely to you pass probation. I’m being facetious, but in reality you would have to be shit or a pisstaker not to pass. Assuming that’s not the case, I wouldn’t stop TTC. Good luck - hope you are lucky

You don’t get the full OMP from your employer if it’s less than 6 months, but you do get the equivalent amount as Maternity Allowance which is funded by the DWP I believe.

You do get full occupational maternity pay from NHS - 12 months continuous service with any NHS employer by a certain point in pregnancy (which I'm well over that time frame) entitles you to the enhanced maternity pay and then it would be maternity allowance instead of statutory maternity pay for the remainder which works out the same amount by that point.

Is it trust dependent? The policy in my new trust definitely says full enhanced maternity pay as long as 12 months continuous service with one or more NHS employer. Tbh I thought that was standard as per the agenda for change handbook?

Definitely continue TTC

Carry on…as another post alluded to… you’d have to be pretty bad to fail a probation in the NHS! Needing maternity leave definitely wouldn’t have any impact. Plus even if you conceived in the first month you’d still be able to work out the full 6 months probation and prove to them you’re fine…

Thanks all. Ordinarily I wouldn't be at all concerned about probation. But I'm just worried that if I am able to conceive during the probation and I tell them I'm pregnant they'll find a reason to get rid of me. I appreciate that it must be frustrating to hire someone only for them to tell you they need maternity leave so I worry they'd think they'd rather just find someone else if I did conceive.

Do it!
I moved NHS trusts when 4 months pregnant because I’d turned down a role previously at 8 weeks pregnant which then lost. So decided I can’t put my career on hold. They were annoyed when I told them sure, but it worked out fine because I am fabulous 😀

You do get full OMP, it’s SMP you don’t get but you get Maternity Allowance which with the NHS maternity pay means you are no worse off. However my new trust did mess it up and I had to argue for them to pay me it!

They can’t really get rid of you, but what they might do is make your pregnancy and return to work less pleasant.

I became pregnant a few months into a promoted post in a new organisation and, to be honest, it was a hard 6-7 months until I left on maternity leave. I was very conscious that my colleagues resented my pregnancy and there was none of the friendly comments or supportiveness that you might reasonably expect from colleagues. All women, by the way. I left for maternity leave without anyone marking the occasion (No card or anything; I stood up and made my own farewell speech at the end of year party once it was clear that my boss wasn’t going to say anything) and, crucially, I was turned down for flexible working on my return.

It felt quite lonely and was very hard going - I nearly cracked and went on mat leave early, but managed to hang on until 34 weeks. But I certainly don’t regret taking the job as that post still looks great on my CV.

My trust is 12 months continuous service plus at least 6 months in the new trust for full mat pay. But you do get something just for 12 months continuous. They just don't want you to be pregnant when you start your role.

@LadyOfACertainAge I'm really glad it worked out for you, that's really good to hear.

@BadSkiingMum gosh that's so awful! You'd think other women would be more supportive. I really do appreciate that it must be a pain having someone take leave so quickly but in a long career, maternity leave is short. I'm sorry they put you through that! Do you think they would have accepted your request for Flexi working if you'd been there longer?

That's interesting @LittleMsSunny. How long did you have to be at the trust before getting pregnant for them to give you enhanced pay? I genuinely thought it was a standard part of the agenda for change contract. The RCN website says this "Whether you work full-time or part-time, you will be entitled to paid and unpaid maternity leave under the NHS contractual maternity pay scheme, if you have 12 months’ continuous service with one or more NHS employers at the beginning of the 11th week before the expected week of childbirth." with first 8 weeks full pay, 18 weeks half pay plus SMP and 13 weeks SMP.

I think it is a standard part of the a4c contract - I can’t link to the terms and condition handbook but this is RCN website

https://www.rcn.org.uk/Get-Help/RCN-advice/agenda-for-change

That's exactly what I was reading so I'm very surprised others have said it's trust dependant.

For me it was 6 months. But Ive been at my current a long time.