Travel time and mileage in NHS

[Tallpoplartree]

I’m thinking of applying for a job in the NHS. The role I am looking at would involve travelling to different hospitals in a region (different trusts). I would be allocated a base that I wouldn’t actually work at, but the nearest one to me is 35 miles away (I live in the region, but apparently as far away from the assigned bases as can be). This would mean that I wouldn’t get any mileage allowance for any of my journeys, whereas someone who lives near the base will get mileage for the majority of their visits.

Does anyone know if there ever any leeway in this policy? The job sounds great but this is a big stumbling block for me at the moment.

I would double check the policy. My mileage allowance is calculated from base to destination, it doesn't include the travel to base or if I set off from home and the distance is longer I can only claim what I would have driven from the base if that makes sense. I'm LA though not NHS so policies probably vary but definitely worth an ask.

My boss makes sure our allocated base is the nearest one to us that they can reasonably get away with to try to get round this issue a bit (I work in a huge community patch).

Thanks for your reply. The policy you describe sounds very similar. I would be travelling from home to different hospitals each day. Travel from my home to the furthest part of the region is also about 35 miles, so I think this means no mileage payment for any of the journeys.

@CoffeeWithCheese - they mentioned the two closest bases to me- which are both 35 miles away (in different directions). I really want to apply for the role but I don’t think my car or bank balance could cope with it as it currently stands 🙁

NHS community here. Paid from base to patient's home/next patient/back to base. If going from home straight to patient the distance from home to base is deducted. Commute is unpaid in both time and mileage. Paid for the whole shift (8 hours in my case) and travelling between patients is within that time, there's no separate rate for travel time.

So yep, in your case it could seem unfair if your base is 35 miles away. But if you're going from home to a hospital that's only say 20 miles away you wouldn't be able to claim but you wouldn't be using as much fuel as if you commute.

I'm NHS for 30 years. Milage is base to destination and back, but yesbyhey knock you home to base milage off.
As for travel time. We have to travel more than 20 miles (big rural trust) before you are allowed to claim travel time.

Im fairly sure this is set out in Agenda for Change.

It's unfortunate OP but if you were expected to be in base then you'd not expect commuting to be reimbursed