To refuse this redeployment?

[xrayted]

I am a highly qualified and experienced NHS band 6 with many
years of experience in my field. Without going into too many details our department has temporarily ground to a halt due to supply issues. This is a worldwide problem in what is a rather niche area of our expertise. This should be resolved in the next few weeks but in the meantime the powers that be have decided that we should be redeployed to work as porters, ferrying bed/chair patients to and from appointments within the hospital. I assume they cope fine without us when we are otherwise busy.

Now, first of all i can think of a hundred admin tasks we could be doing in our own department which we normally have no time for, being an incredibly busy department when up and running. We are still catching up with a huge backlog of work from covid and waiting lists are long. We are not allowed to take unpaid leave during this period (although can they refuse?). The other consideration is that I am approaching retirement and have a history of bulging disc injuries and am not looking forward to being forced to lug around beds and wheelchairs which invariably have wonky wheels or dodgy brakes let alone supporting mobility challenged patients.

So thanks if you got this far. My AIBU is: how can I handle this situation professionally without appearing to be rebellious and refusing this redeployment? I am a hard worker but don't see the sense of this. I really want to refuse this work but my contract does state that we can be transferred to other departments at management's discretion- I didn't realise at the time that this was what that meant! Management seems determined to get its money's worth instead of finding an intelligent use of our time.
Would love some clever ideas!

Put together a proposal for an alternative - it maybe that they just don't have time to think.
The new world (next 10) is also going to be more digital, could you as a team also do some joint it training. You could also use the time to plan for this digital world as a team.
Is all your mandatory training up to date as well?

You would need a risk assessment for portering.

And union thoughts?

Radical, but trying to avoid being difficult. NHS is riddled with so many people off sick long term (don't get me started) it's hard to justify such action. Unless I truly end up injured by this work which I'm trying to avoid.

Put it to whoever it is that is in charge that has the most to lose about your back injury concerns. If they tell you to still risk it, say, "can I have that in writing please". Anyone with a braincell should shit a brick at that point.

You've got to be kidding!!! That's incredibly toxic. Once your back is fecked that's your job out of the window. I'd never allow that. I'm with unison and they have given me great advice about how to deal with this type of thing and play it by the book.
If you go through the proper channels there is nothing they can do about it.
I've only been at this trust for a few years but I know my rights.
Insubordinate indeed. How absurd. This kind of culture is why people go off long term injured and are too ill to enjoy their retirement.

Speak to your union rep.

Sounds like a good case for a reasonable adjustment so you don’t do work that could aggravate your back injury.

I'm sure we could fill several threads with what is wrong with the NHS as seen from an inside perspective. The waste is appalling.

Agree with those who have said you should see occupational health. That’s what they are there for - to assess your fitness to work and whether there is a need for reasonable adjustments. Porters don’t just transport patients. They also deliver meals to wards, take samples to the labs etc. So there may be plenty you can do without risk of injury.

I’d also make a list of your outstanding admin work and suggest to management that now would be a good time to get on top of the backlog in case they are open to this.

Your “I assume they cope fine without us when we are busy” comment is pretty thoughtless. Most NHS departments “cope” but I can’t think of anyone in my trust who wouldn’t be extremely grateful for extra help if it was available. Sounds like you fall into this category too. I imagine you would be delighted if someone was redeployed to help with your admin. While I appreciate a band 6 working as a porter isn’t ideal, it is only temporary and most, if not all, NHS contracts come with a clause saying you can be moved according to service need.

Absolutely - good point but may have to do with some vs policy about training and competency?

Thank you: this is my point - it's a lazy solution to a problem: sort out the porters long term instead of patching that problem with the occasional band aid from other departments

Tell them you will do it after thexappropraite training; by the time they've put you thrrough the health and safety training, moving and handling of dangerous substances, and fitted you for an appropriate uniform, the isotopes will be back!

Yes same age as you and this is not going to be goods for my physical wellfare!

I can guess your role as I work in a similar area; we’ve not suggested redeploying our staff and have had trouble with recruitment. I think this would be bad for morale and risky for your health.
Our hospital had an initiative to co-opt people from all departments to help on the wards before covid and my head of dept thought to ‘volunteer’ me.
I refused, I am in Unite and asked for support; Occ Health would have been my next port of call. I still had work to do. Those that didn’t push back were run ragged and it was physically exhausting.
You need to show that you can still do useful work - I would develop an action plan and say it’s not possible due to personal health issues. If you’re part of an Imaging dept or medical physics then maybe your own area could suggest more suitable work for you - you could ask colleagues.
There are initiatives going on to share supplies amongst the hospitals - I would argue that you’d be better placed to help organise that and identify the most urgent patients / risk of delay.

@xrayted looks it’s not about being unhelpful etc.
if you injure yourself are your managers going to help you round the house? No! It’s only you that suffers and you can be binned off via the sickness policy and replaced.

also if you porter - who completes your admin work? No one- you just have to deal with it.

so you need to know that managers can be terrible and you can stand up to them. Yea it can get a bit sticky and often managers threaten but as long as you are reasonable they can’t sack you.

ny advice is : join a union, speak to your union rep. Don’t get worried by the rumours so to speak- unless you’ve seen a rota with you say starting Monday , then it’s not happening yet.
when it does at that point say ‘ I can’t do this , I need a risk assessment and a refer to occy health. Also I am too busy- here is my to do list.

and just keep doing that. They’ll head to a softer target. It’s complete mismanagement and stupid. Write a huge to do list and just start working through it.

Self-refer to Occ Health and present the evidence of your medical history that makes it an unsuitable redeployment. The idea of a band 6 in one (clinical )discipline, especially someone who would have an increased risk of a work-related injury in that role, being redeployed to a role as a porter (an important role in the hospital but not a clinical one) strikes me as a huge waste of resources. Yes, we all sometimes need to work a bit outside our box, but there's bound to be a more appropriate and useful (to the organisation) thing you could be doing with your skillset. The organisation is also risking you going off injured and being unable to return to your actual job, for which it would probably be significantly harder for them to find cover.

Good idea - So many brilliant posts and suggestions and I am so happy I am not seen as U .. have been struggling with how to respond without coming across as militant and insubordinate (me!) as I am an old school type of NGS professional and love my job and am a great team player - normally go that extra mile but thus does worry me. One problem in the NHS I constantly come across is the lack of management's ability to listen as opposed to micromanaging which they appear to favour above working to a common goal

Off to work- will reply to you fantastic people later

It's what happened to me 15 years ago -- ordered to move furniture and deep clean, told them I had a dodgy back, I was told not to be ridiculous and move the damn desk...back went clunk, knees buckled and I was off for 6 months without a single word said about it by the manager.

I agree, seeing OH would not be unreasonable at all. I have similar back issues and I can promise you I would not be portering.

Are you in a union. Get in one now. Also I'm assuming you are a woman? Most porters are men, because it's a physically demanding job.

It depends on the contractual wording. But in any event it doesn’t sound like approaching management with a technical contractual argument would be an attractive option to OP (which I understand). I’d reference the health issues and suggest you work through the backlog instead. Presumably management isn’t going to want to risk a claim for disabiiitt discrimination, personal injury or another long period of sick leave by forcing you into a porter role. If they don’t listen and you decide just not to do that role because you reasonably believe there is a significant risk to your health you are also legally protected from suffering any detriment

And here we are pouring billions into the NHS.
Yeah phone in sick. I'll pay for it!

If it's for a limited amount of time, you are still being paid your band 6 salary I don't see why you don't just get on with it. Clearly, despite your unique radiological skills there's no way currently to use them. Admin is a poor excuse. Get a ref to occ health but if they are happy, you need to hold your nose and work in a lesser role for a while. There's a permanent lack of porters, they haven't just made up a scenario to inconvenience you!

This is what I would do too.
If you and s couple more people could clearance backlog, it would help massively, as its common knowledge how long the waiting lists STILL are now due to Covid... don't people actually WANT to solve this, given the opportunity??

Another one who cannot believe this is best use of your time @xrayted (whilst still acknowledging the valuable work porters do) - I can immediately think of lots of essential admin tasks that would take up your time both in Nuc med and even across the wider imaging dept if need be and as a previous manager I would be delighted that you had the breathing space to complete them for a change! I would get in touch with your local SoR or union rep immediately.

I think that too, I am sure they will comply as you have a genuine condition. Good luck.