Fixed term contract query (NHS)

[KiraCeleste]

Hi all,

I’ve been working in a 12 month ftc since Feb with NHS Wales’ digital services. There are a couple of people on my team who were in ftc and were made perm, so I was feeling hopeful the same would happen for me.

As some of you may know, the Welsh NHS has a massive deficit this year which has resulted in a recruitment freeze. However, our department have been given the go ahead for more roles (different bands unfortunately) and I have been told there’s ‘lots on the horizon’. My boss however refuses to confirm whether my post will be extended or not, so I have been looking elsewhere. (He is a bit of a rubbish manager so it may just be him being lax - all my colleagues said they found out their contracts were extended at the last minute!)

My question is, does anyone know how fixed term contracts work in the NHS? When will there be more of an idea about funding for 2024 etc?

My experience of public sector in England, NHS & Civil Service, in digital areas, is that it’s pretty chaotic and very uncertain. It could honestly go either way . The fact other colleagues have got extensions at the last minute backs that up. If you’re relying on them confirming budget for 2024 then that may well not get sorted by Feb. I’ve worked multiple places in public sector where budget wasn’t finalised until March or even April. Sorry.

I would keep looking for roles elsewhere,
although you have some time yet. Make sure you are also checking internal recruitment / jobs sites if they are getting the OK to advertise other roles, as a sideways move may become possible.

If your manager is a bit hopeless I suggest you also start building connections with HIS boss and peers. It’s perfectly fine to ask for a “skip level” catch up with his boss, and let them know you would be keen to stay. Make sure other managers know too. It will all help you get more of a picture of what’s happening with recruitment.

Don’t apologise, this is what I suspected anyway! Thanks for the insight. It’s super disorganised which puts me off staying tbh - however for stability (I have a 2 year old) I’d prefer to stay for a couple of years.

Good suggestion on meeting with his boss too - I have a fairly good relationship with them as it is, so shouldn’t be difficult! Thank you.

I think it's a public sector thing in general. I'm at a university and have been on a FTC for nearly 3 years now.

Have had two extensions and now two months away from the end of the latest extension. First role was a newly created role my boss wanted to make permanent but it was cut from the budget at the last minute. She then found me another role in a different department covering for a sick colleague on a permanent contract who has since left and I was asked if I would like to apply for the permanent role as they were very impressed with me and promised it would be sorted in September. My boss is pushing for a decision but no news yet.

As a consequence I am actively applying for permanent roles elsewhere and if I am offered a suitable one I will take it. Even though I love the current role and the people I work with and the organisation generally. I need stability and this annual stress is doing my head in.

Incidentally, don't forget that if you reach 2 year's service for the same employer after extensions of FTC you have all the protections from unfair dismissal except that you can be fairly dismissed due to reaching end of the contract term. To give you notice before the end of the term they have to go through the same fair process as with any other member of staff.