Why are the cons for working in the NHS?

[Indigokeys]

Give me your honest experiences and opinions.

I’m seeking out a band 3/4 position as a health care assistant but am in two minds as it seems like it would be a great career but I’m so aware the NHS is chronically understaffed, huge absence/sickness rates and underfunded leading to stress etc

I currently work for my local authority which deals slightly with the same issues…particularly constant sick leave.

Do you have current care experience? Generally HCA posts are band 2, band 3 are trainee nursing associates who then progress to band 4.

Having said that I am a band 6 and we would be lost without our HCA colleagues. Biggest problems at the moment is staffing so for example a HCA can expect to care for around 7 patients with a nurse who would be caring for 9, if you are a HCA down you them have double the patient's.

It is a very rewarding job but, physically and mentally unbelievably tough, generally 13 hour days with 1 hour unpaid. It's a privilege to care for people at their best and worst. No 2 days are the same, the team work is amazing, it is your team who get you through when you feel like you can't, and, support you when you go through traumatic shift's.

I would not do anything else but, I have never known it this bad, I have days where I don't want to go in as the lack of staff can be soul destroying, patients and relatives are quite angry, mostly understandably but it's hard to hear.

The positives are the holiday and sick entitlements. This is of course my own personal opinion and related to my trust. We desperately need more HCA'S so I would love you to apply.

What really sick of autocorrect!

My friend works at the hospital and she likes it but moans about two things. Firstly she has to pay to park at work. Secondly, if she wants to leave work when she actually is supposed to finish it can sometimes take her up to 30 mins just to get out of the gridlocked hospital grounds.

Downgrading of posts.
I worked in a Band 3 role for 2.5 years, completed a Level 3 Diploma alongside it in order to be eligible for Band 4 Senior position. In that time they downgraded the senior position to Band 3.
Oh, & I left within a year of completing the qualification so had to pay back £1,000 for it. My choice to leave obviously, but it was the only way to earn more (the next step up to Band 5 required a masters degree) & it did sting.

Don't do it.

A 3 week check before starting turned into 6 weeks.

I walked in and literally they laughed how the person before me, only 6 weeks earlier was trained, as if they had no idea. Very, very strange.

On my 2nd day, I was taken into a room and told how many new starters do not make it (could not wonder why!) (where they are pushed onto the telephone not really knowing what they are doing? poor souls.)

Honestly it was horrible, I got sat with a woman, senior of 11 years service, rather blunt and unpassionate, who sighed at me within 30 mins of arrival when completely new to the NHS.

3 days later, after they forgot I needed to attend a funeral, I told them to stick the Patient Pathway Co-ordinator job up their bum. I went on to be stressed in other jobs such as Sales honestly but nothing as unwelcoming as that job.