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Original poster

NHS Admin Role - Overwhelmed

123 replies

Riddlediddle · 29/12/2021 23:32

Not really sure why I'm writing this post -probably just to vent and try and get all of my thoughts out before bed so I can hopefully get some sleep. I'm NHS Admin and I'm just completely overwhelmed by the workload. We are literally drowning in work and everyday the backlog is getting worse and worse. Currently we are only 2 Admin staff supporting a team of 28 Clinicians and a client base of over 6000 patients. Wait times are now so long that all day we are dealing with highly abusive phonecalls from (understandably) upset and frustrated patients demanding to be seen. The inbox to our service is receiving over 300 emails per day so there are currently over 1500 unread emails that I have no hope of getting through and by the end of tomorrow that unread number will have gone up even more. I still have dictation from October to sort, five massive piles of letters as high as me to be written to GPs and other healthcare parties that date back to June, I could go on and on about the backlog of work but basically everyday at work is like hell. I'm constantly stressed and anxious and could just cry with the stress I'm under. I have no time for any kind of personal development as I haven't even got time to do the basic job requirements. We constantly tell management who sympathise and say we should have at least 4 more full time admin for a service with our demand but unfortunately we don't have funding for that and never will. I want to leave (and need to leave for my own sanity) but as this is my first NHS admin role I don't want to jump out of the frying pan into the fire - is this just typical of all NHS admin roles? Is leaving the NHS altogether the only way out of this hell? I've since found out the 2 women who worked in this team before us both had long periods of time off with severe stress and anxiety and both ended up leaving so this has been going on for years and there are absolutely no signs of hope that this will ever change for the better.

OP posts:
RosesAndHellebores · 01/01/2022 12:14

If the NHS were better managed one would have thought that the 30% of nurses who are presently self-isolating but well and on full pay could be diverted to admin duties whilst wfh.

The NHS just doesn't have a flexible approach to manpower and getting the work done. Not my job attitude which doesn't well behave the nursing profession who like us to believe they are highly skilled post graduates. If they could type a dissertation, I assume they could type some letters for the sake of others including their patients

icelolly12 · 01/01/2022 12:18

"Not my job attitude which doesn't well behave the nursing profession who like us to believe they are highly skilled post graduates"

Is it just me who doesn't have a clue what this sentence means?

RosesAndHellebores · 01/01/2022 12:34

Apologies for typo. Behove rather than behave.

CSJobseeker · 01/01/2022 12:40

@Riddlediddle

Yes I'm hoping for something maybe at a CCG as there isn't the same client contact. Those jobs are quite hard to come by though by the looks of it
CCGs are being merged into ICSs, so there may not be much on offer - there may even be redundancies (although this depends on the specific team/role).
CSJobseeker · 01/01/2022 12:51

Flowers I'm back office NHS (although not admin), and I think things have got much worse than they used to be. Teams are routinely underresourced, even the full headcount is known to be insufficient, and managememt seem happy to let staff drown.

And then they have the fucking nerve to send me links to wellness webinars I don't have time to attend, which effectively just pushes the responsibility for my stress and workload on to me. Because if I just took the time to be mindful, the huge backlog and 14hr days wouldn't stress me out! Hmm

I tried and tried to cope with it and improve things, but what is needed is change from the top. Too many high paid back office managers doing fuck all (and doing it badly!), while those lower down the food chain struggle.

So I'm leaving - I have a job offer and am just waiting for pre-employment checks to be concluded before I hand in my notice. I cannot wait to be out of there, it has trashed my mental health that much.

tillyandmilly · 01/01/2022 12:52

Policyschmolicy - why should someone on say £150 per hour or so - be typing ? I am being paid to type out the dictation within the NHS- I love my job - the Consultants simply do not have time and I need a job!

lljkk · 01/01/2022 12:56

is this just typical of all NHS admin roles

I worked in NHS admin role pre-pandemic although not directly patient facing -- yes it was common for admin staff to be off for long periods of sickness due to stress.

CarelessSquid07A · 01/01/2022 12:56

Nhs admin can be awful. Hubby is now off on long term sick as he just couldn't cope any more.

The main problem in his team seems to be managers that have no idea how to manage and keep making constant changes to be seen as flexible by the higher ups but then disrupting processes that were actually working to keep backlogs down and constantly frustrating their staff.

Original poster
Riddlediddle · 01/01/2022 14:25

General concenus appears to be this is typical of NHS admin then! Yesterday summed it up for me when I had to stay in the office until 5pm while the Clinicians were all allowed to leave at 3pm because it was NYE. I asked if it applied to me and then said no because I have to cover the phones and inbox! They all walked out at about 2 30pm not even a goodbye of happy new year. I'm done with it

OP posts:
RosesAndHellebores · 01/01/2022 14:54

It's a disgrace but in my experience they are equally rude to the patients. Something has to change.

StateOfTheUterus · 01/01/2022 15:51

I am appalled that your clinicians left at 2.30pm. Unless it was to go on visits to patients…but I’m assuming not. I’ve worked in lots of nhs teams (physical health) and I’ve never ever heard of clinicians behaving in that way. Do their managers know??

CSJobseeker · 01/01/2022 16:08

@Riddlediddle

General concenus appears to be this is typical of NHS admin then! Yesterday summed it up for me when I had to stay in the office until 5pm while the Clinicians were all allowed to leave at 3pm because it was NYE. I asked if it applied to me and then said no because I have to cover the phones and inbox! They all walked out at about 2 30pm not even a goodbye of happy new year. I'm done with it
This is appalling.

I can only echo the advice others have given. Clock on and off at your designated start and finish times. Take your lunch. Do what you can, and no more. Tell everyone exactly where you are up to in the backlog, in writing, so no-one can claim they didn't know.

You are sacrificing your mental and physical health to keep the plates spinning, but no-one higher up the chain will take a damn bit of notice unless you let the plates fall.

I have every sympathy, as I know how horrible it is, particularly when you are someone who takes pride in your work.

Watapalava · 01/01/2022 16:14

You don’t need to leave
You just need to be assertive and go in, do what you can at a normal pace and leave at end of the day

What’s not done is not your fault

Don’t rush
Don’t get stressed

Just do a normal persons role and if it piles up it piles up

That’s not your concern

If you can finish a job because the phone rings all day then the job doesn’t get done and you explain why

I don’t understand why people take on so much. If you don’t get stressed and leave it eventually they’ll get more staff

Original poster
Riddlediddle · 01/01/2022 16:47

The manager knew - she was the one who told them that they could all leave while little old me in Admin covered the phones and inbox until 5pm!

OP posts:
Offredismysister · 01/01/2022 17:05

Can I ask what band you are OP?
Band 4 I think this is pretty standard, although not acceptable. Band 2 definitely not standard. I work in community health services & we’re crying out for band 2 admin, but can’t recruit. Admittedly, the role is repetitive, but it’s also low stress.

Flapjak · 01/01/2022 17:18

No it isnt like this in all NHS admin roles but many of them are still underpaid for the service they provide. Are you a member of a union? Who is your admin manager? If they are not going to employ any more admin staff they need to re evaluate the admin role and see if any of the tasks can be redistribted. Or managers need to get a temp in to cover the backlog for a short time. Its funny how when managers want ro do something they suddenly find the money.

Original poster
Riddlediddle · 01/01/2022 17:45

@Offredismysister yes band 4

OP posts:
Freysimo · 01/01/2022 17:56

I sympathise. I did a full time NHS admin job in part time hours. Luckily, I was nearing retirement age and could afford to leave. I so glad I'm out of it, and my job is now done by a full timer! Please look for another job, things won't improve.

tass1960 · 01/01/2022 18:07

Band 4 medical secretary here. It is a busy job but nothing like you describe. I am entitled to a 15 minute break in the morning - I might sometimes not take that but I never don't take my lunch break. Calls go to voicemail and I deal with them later. Our manager is always bleating on about having no money to employ bank staff to cover (constant) sickness and we often have to take a couple of extra phones and help out with urgent dictations but for example if my phone is ringing all day and I don't manage to do the typing I make sure manager knows why. We are a bigger unit than 2 though (varying bands 2, 3 and 4) so more hands on deck when needed. I wouldn't hesitate to speak to the union in your case and I wouldn't fail to be in a union if I were you.

Whenigrowupiwanttobea · 01/01/2022 18:29

Hi OP!!! DATIX it! (Untoward incident form) for the abusive phone calls! DATIX for the fact your department is understaffed leading to Health and Safety concerns. Everytime you cannot complete your work DATIX it! It sounds like more work but if you create a paper trail at least it is on record that you have been struggling! As a Nurse I just want you to know we really appreciate the hard work admin staff do! It may not feel like it sometimes but we know without you appointments and clinics would not run!

Whenigrowupiwanttobea · 01/01/2022 18:36

RosesandHellebores unfortunately working from home for Nurses can be problematic in that the Trust will have to supply them each with a laptop with extra security for working from home and not all the software for reviewing results etc and booking in clinics is compatible with using home Internet etc.

WTGN · 01/01/2022 18:42

Are you part of the union? Contact them for advice?

CSJobseeker · 01/01/2022 19:04

@Whenigrowupiwanttobea

RosesandHellebores unfortunately working from home for Nurses can be problematic in that the Trust will have to supply them each with a laptop with extra security for working from home and not all the software for reviewing results etc and booking in clinics is compatible with using home Internet etc.
Yes, most staff at NHS Trusts are not issued with laptops by their employer.
coochyboochy · 01/01/2022 19:05

What do you want to happen? Come up with a realistic plan and present it to your managers.

CSJobseeker · 01/01/2022 19:08

@coochyboochy

What do you want to happen? Come up with a realistic plan and present it to your managers.
I think the OP was abundantly clear that the only solution is more staff. Boots on the ground.

The managers won't recruit and say there is no budget, so what exactly do you think the OP can/should do? What should her plan say?