Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Child-safe in minutes.

Meet the Other Phone.
Child-safe in minutes.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Work

Chat with other users about all things related to working life on our Work forum.

Original poster

Should DM Retire?

35 replies

Merrifields · 19/07/2022 17:07

My DM is early 60's. She has severe Arthritis in both knees. She has a hospital ward reception job, 1 half day a week. Her manager told her not to come into work anymore last Autumn and has demanded she supply sick notes, so that she can get paid! DM has been passed fit for work by her GP and hospital Trust doc. Manager is refusing to allow her back to work because of the risk of her falling. Her manager is refusing help with equipment that would make her job easier and is no longer paying her. DM's manager wants her to retire due to ill health. She has 4 years to go til she can claim her pension. The money she earns is enough to buy food every month. I would appreciate any advice. Tia

OP posts:
Original poster
Merrifields · 19/07/2022 21:36

Would also like to add my DM has offered to buy an electric wheelchair, so that she sits all day and can safely run around the ward with messages but her manager says we don't have room for a wheelchair to manoeuvre around ANY of the wards in the whole hospital! Basically she has given my Mum's hours to someone else and doesn't want her back

OP posts:
kitcat15 · 19/07/2022 21:42

Has she referred herself to access to work? ….I’m nhs and that what I did when I went back to work after long term sick……I got assessed and a whole load of equipment suggested …..what does her nhs trust policy say about staff with disabilities? Has she completed a risk assessment with her manager? ….the manager is making himself very vulnerable by not adhering to any of this…..she has equality and disability discrimination legislation on her side

Original poster
Merrifields · 19/07/2022 21:45

Ilikewinter

I'm saying it's not unreasonable to ask one member of staff to pass on a msg to another member of staff with a simple msg like call pharmacy. You clearly have no idea what you are talking about. It means Pharmacy have called and want to speak to the staff nurse about a patient. My DM isn't passing the buck. It's normal for the staff to talk about their work to one another. My DM doesn't make clinical decisions

OP posts:
Original poster
Merrifields · 19/07/2022 21:46

Thank you kitcat15

OP posts:
Original poster
Merrifields · 19/07/2022 21:50

Have spoken to Mum and she is going to request a meeting with her Manager to discuss the situation face to face

OP posts:
chopc · 19/07/2022 22:01

If she is retiring due to ill health there is a procedure to follow and she can get her pension early. If she is deemed disabled and the manager not making reasonable adjustments to allow her to do her job - I believe this is against employment law.
Hospital should have an occupational health department that could assess your mum's fitness to work and she may even be eligible for a grant through access to work to buy equipment etc to help her continue her employment. Get advise

figmaofmyimagination · 19/07/2022 22:02

Merrifields · 19/07/2022 21:30

My Manager wants my DM to resign and go on the bank for a desk duties only role. I don't see this as fair- especially as the manager is refusing to give my Mum any equipment that might help her ie an office chair that isn't broken or a trolley to carry patient notes

This is quite different from what you said earlier. I’m afraid I think the manager is following procedure then- your Mum has run out of sick pay, is fit for work but not this particular role, the manager doesn’t consider your Mum’s workarounds to be reasonable/ safe adjustments and so is recommending her for redeployment?

HarrfordFern · 19/07/2022 22:10

Merrifields · 19/07/2022 21:45

Ilikewinter

I'm saying it's not unreasonable to ask one member of staff to pass on a msg to another member of staff with a simple msg like call pharmacy. You clearly have no idea what you are talking about. It means Pharmacy have called and want to speak to the staff nurse about a patient. My DM isn't passing the buck. It's normal for the staff to talk about their work to one another. My DM doesn't make clinical decisions

I work in the NHS in a clinical role and @Ilikewinter was exactly correct in their post actually. If it's your mothers job to take the call and pass the message on, she's not able to do it if she has to get someone else to do it. Especially a busy HCA.

And it's a disgusting attitude to think a family passing a message onto their parent is 'hardly urgent'.

Crazycrazylady · 20/07/2022 22:22

Op
Im sorry but from what you've said it appears that your mom simply isn't able for this role any more. There are reasonable adjustments and then there is massively changing the role entirely.

Discovereads · 20/07/2022 22:32

The manager probably thinks she can apply for an NHS pension on grounds of ill health. You can get it if OH says you are too ill to do your role, no other role exists that you can do and be moved to, and no reasonable accommodation can be made. You can be “fit to work” by GP, but that’s for any job and for claiming State disability like ESA. It has no bearing on getting an NHS pension early due to ill health.

Sadly, though your DM cashed in her NHS pension years ago and when she returned to the NHS she opted out. So if she can’t do her role (and it appears to be the case), she needs to find other work or go back to her GP to try and get together a case for ESA. No matter what though, she should apply for PIP. The manager likely doesn’t know she has worked for NHS her entire career but has not paid into the NHS pension, and so cannot claim one.

New posts on this thread. Refresh page