What Would You Do?

[shalomjaxom]

I have just been offered a band 2 job within the NHS.

I currently have a substantial part-time job, but it's 52 miles away so that's 104 miles round trip for two days a week, rest of the shift is teleworked.

The NHS job is based at one hospital around 10 miles away, but I will be expected to provide cover for sickness and holiday for two other small hospitals, which are both 30 miles away.

The NHS job is worked over more days for the same hours I do in my current job but the pay is around £1.50 less per hour! I am concerned about the costs of travelling.

The rub is, I have reached my promotional limit in my current job and looking at the figures, it looks like the place is going to close in 3 years unless more money is made. The nature of the business is fickle, so this is an unknown element.

With the NHS, it seems I will be doing more for less money. But I am excited by the prospect of proper training, career advancement and a pension.

Am I nuts considering going for the NHS? I would really appreciate readers' wisdom.

In addition to what I wrote, jobs are very rare in the area I live in. The reason I applied for this post is that I was looking for something more local, to save money on commuting!

Would you be expected to fund your own travel to the other sites? I would have expected your home base to be the hospital 10 miles away and then you would get mileage/travel costs for any shifts covering further away?

Overall, will this be less travelling than your current job (in terms of hours and miles)?

It sounds like it's worth considering, what would be your fallback position if it didn't work out, could you return to where you are now (assuming it's within the 3 years before they go out of business)? It sounds as if there are no real pluses to staying put, so the only question is whether to go for this job or hang on for another to come up. And given what you say in your second post, it sounds like that could be quite some time.

Is the NHS on a banding system? Will you get guaranteed increases until you are on the top of the scale? I am not sure how their pay systems work.

The NHS has lots of training and lots of opportunities for advancement.

To me it sounds as though the NHS is the better option.

THank you both, for your replies, it is much appreciated.
I have been given much food for thought.

I work for the NHS and I highly recommend them as an employer! So many perks and benefits... And the pension scheme is great. You'll get a pay increase every year until you hit the top of the band bracket. I started in a band 2 job and am now in a band 3 position after just a short period of time! There's so much scope for promotion! :-)

Thank you very much, Trixie.

I am really excited about the prospect and will go for it.

Woop! Good for you. Welcome to the NHS family. ;-) Tip one - get yourself a blue light card!!! Discounts galore on pretty much everywhere and everything! :-D

Depends what your band 2 position is. If it's an admin based role for example then the reality is that there is little scope for progessing beyond a band 3. To be a band 4 would require completion of portfolio's or a diploma and band 5 and above are for the graduate entry jobs with specific on the job training. Money is very tight in the NHS and often the promises of training or being able to complete anything more than a one day training course are very dlim

Slim

The incremental rises through the bands is good enough; I have not had a pay rise for many years in my current post. In addition to that, a job for life seems really appealing.

Thanks for the Blue Light Card info, Trixie - you are ace. :-)

With regard to providing staff sickness/leave cover for the other hospital sites (I will be based at one hospital and will provide cover for two others), does anyone know whether I will get a mileage allowance?

I had a pretty similar set up when I worked for the nhs. It may be different now, but if the hospitals are in the same trust, there may be a free transport bus that goes between the hospitals a few times a day. I used to get to my main base and hop on the transport to wherever I was working that day.

Yes, they are within the same trust.
Hmm, that's interesting regarding the transport bus. :-)

Think I have some questions to ask next week!

TheTartOfAsgard,
Please may I ask you a question regarding the transportation to other hospitals? Do you arrive and return at your base site within your working hours (9am-5pm, for example)?

If I remember correctly, I was on an 8:30-4:30 shift, got to main base, which was walking distance, to catch the 8am transport.
This was for main London hospitals (barts/Royal London/newham/whipps cross) a good few years back, the transport was specifically for moving staff/notes/equipment so was always going backwards and forwards all day. I know they had a similar set up between King George and queens in Essex, as I did a few bank shifts there a month.

Thank you for your reply, TheTartOfAsgard.
I'm a bit more rural than that so there might be a different setup.

They will still need to be shifting records, staff and patients between the sites, I think it's definitely worth finding out more about transport.

When I worked for the NHS (clinical role) I usually worked at my base hospital, but sometimes we needed to cover staffing at two other hospitals, one was really quite close so would get the free transport bus but the other hospital was approx a 45 min drive away so they would put me in an account taxi as I didn't drive. The staff who drove would submit a mileage sheet and get that back in their wages.

I would go for the NHS job. There seems to be far more interest in developing their staff than in a private company. Although you are taking a hit on the salary I think it would be a good move long term and you will ultimately be better off.

Best of luck.