Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Only the apps you allow.

Meet the Other Phone.
Only the apps you allow.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Christmas

From present ideas to party food, find all your Christmas inspiration here.

Original poster

What would you think if you read this notice on the back of your staff loo door?

210 replies

Diditopknot · 17/12/2021 07:05

“2021 There will be no hospital taxis provided on Christmas Day or New Year’s Day”

There are no buses running on Christmas Day.
To give you context, this is a hospital.
Now overwhelmed by covid and usual winter issues on top.
The nurses start at 7.30 finish at 9pm. Night shift 8.45 til 8

There is no visiting again due to covid so not sure why this has been hidden in a loo, there’s no one to see what a shit thing this is for many nurses who rely on buses to get to work.
It’s the one relief working on Christmas Day that at least you can get home to your family without paying inflated taxi prices.
Those that drive still have to pay to park on Christmas Day or they will be fined.
The nurses are trying to sort out lifts from each other a week before their shift.

Just to add, there are very few nurses, staffing is horrendous so it will be a very low bill for the hospital.

I saw the very exclusive garden centre staff out cutting the grass and trimming the hedges again this week at the hospital…wonder how much that’s costing the hospital?
What about having the garden centre staff come 10 months of the year and using the other 2 months to pay for Christmas Day taxis.
As long as the package is pretty, doesn’t matter what’s going on behind doors does it?

It beggars belief.
What would you think?
Put yourself in the shoes of that nurse reading that, on your knees covering extra shifts all year due to sickness and staff leaving in droves. Facing the start of the 3rd wave. Rubber mask making marks on your face, no break again for the 2nd shift in a row.

OP posts:
rooarsome · 17/12/2021 09:21

Not once in all my years in the NHS have we had taxis offered- even as a midwife in a rural area. I wouldn't expect the taxpayer to fund my travel to and from work.

guardiansofthegalaxychocs · 17/12/2021 09:24

I didn’t know hospital staff normally got taxis but it makes sense. The point is that this is something normal for the hospital that has been suddenly withdrawn with very poor notice when staff are on their knees.

This isn’t the solution. But if any nurses are really struggling, see if your hospital is near a church then try contacting them as many of us drive to church and give lifts to old ladies, so probably wouldn’t mind dropping a nurse home too.

BeyondOurReef · 17/12/2021 09:24

@MrsSkylerWhite

BeyondOurReef

Yes I see that, hence two minds. It’s not just NHS staff, though. It’s all essential public sector workers.

It doesn’t seem unreasonable that someone would be able to organise a lift to/from work on one day when public resources are horribly stretched.

All the essential public service should be planning for this stuff though. Just as all the private sector companies who have to keep things running on Christmas Day need to.

Ensuring your staff can get to and from work when there’s no public transport is just a basic. Really.

RoseAndRose · 17/12/2021 09:33

@Diditopknot

Can you clarify the normal terminology at this hospital?

Is this a patient transport service, as mentioned above??

Elodeastar · 17/12/2021 09:40

It does seem an odd place, but then maybe they were thinking most folk would see a note there as most folk have to go to the toilet at some point during a shift? As for the NHS paying for staff taxis home, I am unsure why this should really be the case - lots of people work over Christmas, and at other times where public transport is hard to come by, and have to pay for their own taxis/get lifts/walk/cycle etc, so not sure why this is so different?

MrsSkylerWhite · 17/12/2021 09:41

BeyondOurReef

Ensuring your staff can get to and from work when there’s no public transport is just a basic. Really”

I didn’t work in health but hospitality years ago and had to work Christmas Day sometimes. I just organised a lift. Most colleagues drove, even then.

Will have to agree to differ. It’s just not a justified use of public money to me, especially when taxi companies charge double rate (even with large contracts). I later went into a career in banking and then worked in parliament. Both provided taxis in certain circumstances and the accounts were astronomical.

Greenhand · 17/12/2021 09:43

I would happily pay for taxis for NHS staff on Christmas Day. I could only fund two if my local hospital asked for donations.
Unfortunately I don’t think anybody has the time to organise

Elodeastar · 17/12/2021 09:43

Here's another thought - could the highly paid consultants offer to pay for the taxis of those on a much lower pay scale?

RoseAndRose · 17/12/2021 09:43

It's a curious way to reach staff (who would be notified by email and at point of using a service)

It's a normal way to reach patients and their friends/families.

ginghamstarfish · 17/12/2021 09:51

Clearly the object is to make sure everyone reads the notice, which they will. It does seem unfair that if taxis have been provided in the past, they are now withdrawn but even given the high cost of taxis on Christmas Day etc, it is probably very difficult to guarantee they could be arranged given current circumstances. Sorry for those who use public transport, but agree if you ask around on your local FB groups etc surely some kind soul will offer to drive you to or from the hospital if you really have no other options.

HaaaaaveyoumetTed · 17/12/2021 09:53

I wouldn't be surprised. Ours was removed a number of years ago.

AnotherOneWithNoGoodName · 17/12/2021 09:58

I’m going to be blunt and there’s no nice way to say this.
NHS staff have had secure work all through the pandemic. Most won’t have had job losses, reduced pay, furlough etc.
This post is in bad taste.

Beseen22 · 17/12/2021 10:03

@mrsskylerwhite

You are clearly business minded. A domestic earns 18k a year. That means for an 8h shift they would earn around £80. Maybe £100 for a Saturday. Its going to cost them £80 for a taxi where I live. Would you work Christmas day for £20 for 8 hours work? Im not sure the agency rates for ancillary staff when they inevitably call in sick but for a registered nurse in ICU last year one trust paid over £2000 for one nurse for one 12 hour shift. Of course the actual nurse only saw a percentage of that. Surely you see its more cost effective to pay the £80 that pay out sick pay plus agency fees? Part of the reason the NHS is on its knees is because they are paying for a couple of agency nurses for every ward in every shift Inn every trust. You can see how that might add up.

Also when I was in banking if there was an ATM fault you got a call out fee plus taxi to get you there within 30 mins. Also my father ran direct banking for a major bank and he absolutely paid for taxis to get staff in on Christmas day and he went in with chocolates for each of the staff who had to work.

This is not every staff member, most have access to a car or a lift but I absolutely believe that if someone has no other options than a taxi this should be funded for them.

Divebar2021 · 17/12/2021 10:10

Its going to cost them £80 for a taxi where I live

How can you say how much a taxi journey will be. Surely it’s dependent on distance? And you also can’t compare banking with a public sector organisation. It’s just not comparable.

Nidan2Sandan · 17/12/2021 10:11

My husband is in the Police, no trains run on xmas so he has always had to drive to work and pay to park in London when he works the holidays.

Cant say we have ever considered him getting paid transport home.

Heck, it's been a not unusual occurrence, after a late arrest that means he missed the last train home, for him to sleep in the cells or on a office floor!!

As for the actual placement of the sign, best place for it to guarantee maximum exposure to staff

Beseen22 · 17/12/2021 10:16

@Divebar2021

I was replying to a pp who was discussing taxi costs when she was in banking.

From my house to the hospital it will be £80, I know that because it is double time from the usual cost which I once had to get as an emergency. I understand £80 is fairly high for taxi costs which shows that even at the higher end it is still MUCH MUCH cheaper than employing agency staff when your own are unable to get in. Fwiw I will be driving to work on Christmas night as I am not at the lower bands and can afford a car.

ANameChangeAgain · 17/12/2021 10:28

I wouldn't begrudge a hospital worker a taxi if they had no other way to get in. I've never had transport provided to work, and have never expected it, but I understand lower grade hospital workers would be relying on public transport.
I imagine the problem would be the piss takers. I've worked in people management, and there was always a significant minority who would rush to the front for the perk just because its free, tripping up the people who needed it on the way. I bet in previous years, instead of just the few who would usually take public transport applying for a taxi, you would get people who would usually drive and pay to park also applying. Hospitals can't give free parking, as they don't manage the car parks. The relatively small taxi bill would be at least doubled because of people using the service unnecessarily, so as a blanket management step they've banned it completely. Its a shame that they couldn't put on a shuttle bus instead.

CustardGoodJamGoodMeatGood · 17/12/2021 10:31

It is shit OP. My DM works for the NHS and has worked many Christmases/Boxing Days/New Year's Day etc over the years, their trust used to have a deal with a local taxi firm that they would get priority before and after shifts so didn't have to wait and didn't pay but they stopped this years ago so I'm suprised your hospital have managed to do it up to this point. It was one of the reasons why she didn't mind working those days because she wouldn't have to mess about with travel.

RussianSpy101 · 17/12/2021 10:35

I would think that the staff should sort their own transport like everyone else has to do.

Justkeeppedaling · 17/12/2021 10:36

Transport paid for by the employer is a taxable benefit, not a perk. I assume the hospital staff are all declaring it for tax.

WeatherwaxLives · 17/12/2021 10:40

Is that the entirety of the sign OP? No other info at all?

Like PP I've only ever heard 'hospital taxi' in the context of patient transport (DGM often had a 'hospital taxi' bring her home when discharged)

Are you sure it's not a sign that means 'don't discharge patients who need a taxi home, as there won't be any on these dates!'

Feelingoktoday · 17/12/2021 10:44

My son is peeling carrots on Christmas Day at a large hotel chain. He will then wait on the tables at minimum wage. He is expected to be able to get to his job. Taxis are not provided.

doublemonkey · 17/12/2021 10:48

I think you should take a photo and send it to all the UK papers. Tell them which hospital it is too.

UnmentionedElephantDildo · 17/12/2021 10:52

@doublemonkey

I think you should take a photo and send it to all the UK papers. Tell them which hospital it is too.
Check whether they mean patient transport first!

As hospital taxi = form of patient transport, normally

Though local press might find a benefactor to pay for it, which would be a win - though if it uses adapted vehicles and not enough staff are available, then it might not be possible to solve just with cash

AnotherOneWithNoGoodName · 17/12/2021 11:03

@ginghamstarfish

Clearly the object is to make sure everyone reads the notice, which they will. It does seem unfair that if taxis have been provided in the past, they are now withdrawn but even given the high cost of taxis on Christmas Day etc, it is probably very difficult to guarantee they could be arranged given current circumstances. Sorry for those who use public transport, but agree if you ask around on your local FB groups etc surely some kind soul will offer to drive you to or from the hospital if you really have no other options.
I wouldn't recommend asking a complete stranger to drive you to work. Sounds dangerous.