If I leave the NHS could I return on the same terms and conditions?

[Mrschicken01]

Just that really. Am hoping someone might be able to tell me so that. I don't have to contact our HR dept!

I've worked for the NHS for around 15 years 12 of which within the same trust. Am having to seriously consider moving to a new employer and role as I am exhausted and burnt out with no prospect of things improving.

Am going for an interview with Local government, this will be a totally new experience for me and if I hate it I would have to loo at returning to the NHS but probably to a new role or lower grade. My main concern is whether I would return with the same T and C particularly with regards to sick pay ( I know my leave is based on continuous service, but what about sick pay).

Any info very welcome!

I do not know about the NHS but a typical contract would have a "date service commenced" in it which would be the start of that employment. I don't see why that would be the date of a previous employment?

As above, I don't know anything specific about the NHS but I would be amazed if they took a previous role, whether recent or years ago, into account when applying the T&Cs of a new, current contract.

If you don't want to ask your HR Dept, I would suggest asking your union.

When I worked in the NHS, you could leave and return to the NHS, as long as the break was less than 3 months.

Hi All, thanks for the replies!

The reason I am querying is that for things like annual leave entitlement, NHS employees accrue this cumulatively, so it rakes six yrs to accrue full leave entitlement but thus six years could be in one go or six years etc. So if you leave if you return you go back on the same leave entitlement. I was wondering if this rule applied to others terms eg sick leave which is also accrued in the same way.

If anyone had the definitive answer I would be very grateful.

If you have a break in service of 1 year or more, you will start at the beginning again as far as sick leave goes (ie 1 month full, 1 month half)

The point of those types of terms (ie cumulative holiday) is to promote loyalty and stop you leaving. If you leave I can't imagine any scenario in which they would apply unless there is a specific deal in place.

Well loyalty or not the leave is definately set in stone, once you accrue it it's yours for good. It's the sick leave I'm interested in. Thankfully I am not a sickly person but I am getting older now so it is a consideration.

My understanding of agenda for change was any break in service for more than 3 months (not including sabbaticals/secondments/mat leave etc) caused your length of service to be reset to 0. This would take to you bottom point of grade, basic AL entitlement and back to 1 month full pay: 1 month 0.5 pay of sick leave

Op check out the nhs handbook on the nhs employers website. Section 12 covers this. (Rules regarding breaks in service are the same in Scotland btw)
It's 12 months or less. People have mentioned 3 months. That applies to other forms of entitlement ie maternity leave.
I work in this field so do know what I'm talking about

I should think not.

Hi Littlegiraffe, thanks so much for the info and pointing me in the right direction. That's massively helpful as now I know it's one year cut off It means I can take stock in the new job ( if I get it) at about six months. If it's really not for me I would probably decide to return to the NHS, the speciality I work in is on a continual recruitment cycle as we are so understaffed so it would be a viable option.

No problem.
And if you move back to the nhs, your previous service will generally be taken into account when setting many of your terms & conditions on you're return, such as starting salary and annual leave (but it depends on whether you're being appointed to the same grade as before, so it's not possible to give a one-size-fits-all answer to everything)

Best of luck with whatever you decide.