To consider working for the NHS?

[NHSMaybe]

I'll start by saying healthcare in general is really not my thing. I'm very appreciative of the NHS, but I can't 'do' blood, would never want to be a doctor/nurse (very squeamish) and have never even looked at any jobs working within the sector.

I work in a pretty niche operations role in the Tech Sector. I'm a Director - very good role with lots of perks, including lots of WFH except for when I travel every month or so. I earn approx £130k base, with a few years of incredible bonuses. On paper everything in the role is perfect, but I have the underlying constant feeling that essentially I'm not doing any 'good' - I'm just making rich people (and me!) richer.

I've been approached about an NHS role in the same niche. The role is Associate Director (band 8d, £96-109k inc a supplement for being based in central London) and I've been assured it would be hybrid and flexible. Not really scope to progress without expanding from my niche, but that is the case in my current role too!

Am I mad to be considering this? I could definitely 'survive' (very well, I appreciate I'm a higher earner!) off the lower salary, and it's actually made me feel really excited for the first time in a while about making a difference.

Also some technical questions:

• If you work in the operations/admin side of things, do you feel you have a good work/life balance? I know there's 'the NHS is on its knees!' which gets spoken about a lot, but outside of primary care is this still the case? FWIW the role is in a specialist hospital, not a general one.

• I've heard conflicting things, but would I be able to negotiate salary for further up the band due to previous experience? A friend works for the NHS and is adamant I'd only be 'allowed' to enter at the bottom of the band.

Also happy to hear general tips/considerations when thinking about working for the NHS. I know the pension scheme is pretty good! I'm very new to this and have no one to talk to about it IRL (friend who works for the NHS doesn't know much about the Operations/Admin side!)

All I know about the NHS is that it's notorious for bullying. I knew someone quite high up, and would rather have chewed my arm off than work with her.

You'll be getting an amazing pension so there's that.

Agree with this. The higher up the banding you go generally the worse it gets, and the culprits are never called out on their behaviour or sacked for bullying. They just get promoted and moved on to their next set of victims.

Ah. Thanks, I think I've heard that somewhere else but haven't connected the dots. Not a problem I've had so far in Tech so definitely something I'll consider, as currently I have pretty good working relationships and no workplace drama!

Oops sorry I see you'd mentioned that.

Most of my family are/were in the NHS. Two did have problems with bullying but none of the others did. It depends on the role and how you fit into the wider structure as far as I can tell because from what they've said in the past, it was the "boots on the ground" jobs (inc low level admin) that seemed to attract bullies.

I worked for the NHS for over 20 years and be warned, from the domestics to the top management it is a nest of vipers.

Why would you want to move jobs. It sounds like you have a very good job already.

The NHS has a completely different culture. I wouldn't risk it.

I wouldn’t- they are making cuts to non clinical jobs again in the NHS and regulations will be coming into force for senior roles. Sounds like you have a perfect role already. You could shadow a role and see if it’s worth it- also talk to the other lower bands in your potential team- to understand the culture and workload.

Pension is very good . But everything changes VERY slowly AND not necessary for the better. You have to be super diplomatic to succeed and success isn't guaranteed.

If your motivation is to help make the world a better place how about mentoring state secondary school students to get into science subjects/lobby your company to create internship/apprenticeship/work experience for inner city school student/ethnic minority student/female secondary school student? You wouldn't need to do it alone, there are charities around

Sorry forgot to mention, you will start at the bottom of the banding, there is no negotiation as it’s not private practice and your salary is paid for by public funds.

29% contributions towards your pension so that is an important factor providing you are actually employed by the NHS and not a contractor. However, no bonuses or perks really. Depends how old you are and how much flexibility is important to you at the moment.

I work in an Ops role in a trust up in Yorkshire. There's massive amounts of pressure coming from every angle. The NHS in my experience is an extremely frustrating place to work, it is impossible to sack underperformers and is very cliquey, verging on toxic. Wouldn't recommend it.

Don't do it. It's a lot of stress, a lot of back biting, a lot of bullying and very little reward for a lot of "the NHS has too many managers they're all shit". I'm trying to escape a similar role to the one you're looking to jump into and honestly do not do it.

Remember to factor in pension contributions if you are opting in. The percentage is set based on your pay with no option to decrease or increase. You could still pay into a SIPP but beware as the pension is defined benefits the growth is seemingly random (I know it’s not but it is very complex and you have no control over it) and can breach AA if you are on a high band.

Further to the earlier post... you wouldn't even need to work with a charity. You could approach your local secondary school and tell them your would like to offer one of their female/ethnic minority/ low-income family student work experience. Alternatively, offer yourself to their careers days talk. I personally think you are more likely to make a difference this way than working for NHS.

^ This sums up my own experience.

Oh before I forget, you need to add to that good old fashioned hirachy within and across departments. It's really hard to get anything efficiently done.

I wouldn't if I was you

I left a Clinical 8b role to work in the prison service at the same level

Different set of problems but I'd not go back to that old Etonian versus just out of business uni toxic culture if you paid me

I'd celebrate what you have and find satisfaction elsewhere

Thanks all! Sounds like a nightmare tbh 😬 Think this thread was the bit of sense I needed! Not sure I'd enjoy the working culture described.

I honestly think you're mad for considering it. I'm an 8c in NHS (clinical). But I have some input / dealings with upper management for some non clinical service improvement hours. It is toxic, change is slow and frustrating and it is full of bullies. Everyone is so pressured they take it out on each other and no satisfying long term differences can be made because you're too busy firefighting all the urgent problems. It will burn you out trying, I'm considering a huge pay cut just to work outside the organisation.

I’m NHS medical so not really my area but I’d be worried the actual job might be very frustrating. The IT is atrocious and I’m sure there’s lots of good things that could be done, possibly relatively easily but I’d be worried about your ability to do them because the system is so unwieldy, because of issues with budget, procurement, systems speaking to each other and general glacial pace of change and red tape.

This thread is such a shame! I’m going through ovarian cancer scare at the moment and I’ve realised how lonely it is.

I was really contemplating changing my career once I get the all clear to a non clinical cancer support role (I’ve seen a role advertised!) - I would so love to help people who are struggling on, like me!

But I don’t want bullying, toxicity or shite IT! 😭

Don't worry about that so much. I am in a clinical role in the NHS, and whilst there are a lot of problems I do get a lot of job satisfaction. I work with a generally lovely team. I think senior management would be really hard. The NHS needs people like you. So it is worth exploring.

Thank you! 🙏🏻 i just can’t stand the thought of someone else crying as much as I have in the last 4 weeks. I want to help. I’ve had so many questions but nobody in the NHS to actually talk to.

My trust is currently going through a corporate restructure that started beginning of September. Now, 5 months later we “might” be about to get our letter stating what our ‘provisional status’ is. 5 months we’ve all been suffering with this high level of uncertainty and the communication from above is awful. They are treating us like total shit and are about to end people’s careers. Avoid working for the NHS at all costs. Workers mean nothing to management.