NHS Fixed term contract ending March 2025

[megrob]

So the job i started in sept 2023 is coming to an end in march 2025. it is fixed term and is all based on funding etc.

i today found out HR want to meet with me next week. what are the possible outcomes of this meeting with HR and what questions should i ask. my letter says i can bring a representitive in with me?

i have had emails from hr recently requesting info on my length of service. should i be paranoid?

really nervous

whats other peoples experiences?

If you're in a union, they can probably provide a rep to come with you, and advice. If not, it's worth considering joining, look at unison or unite if you're not in a profession with a union eg RCN for nursing.
Length of service will affect your rights if your fixed term post ends. If you've been employed over 2 continuous years (in any nhs orgs) you'll have some rights eg to redeployment/redundancy pay, they will always look to redeploy, redundancy is rare in nhs.

Have a look at NHS terms and conditions handbook online and your organisation's redeployment policy.
Good luck. If you're a reliable worker they'll find you something to keep you going I expect. No need to wait on that though you can also keep your eyes open for other opportunities while going through their process.
Disclaimer: I'm not HR or union, just been in the NHS a while.

My experience is different from PP's. If you were on a fixed term contract and the funding is ending, it's ending. I presume it was a special project or something similar. If you have a slightly unusual role (ie not nursing), I would be looking for other jobs. Nurses may have more flexibility to be offered another opportunity.
Shorter term contracts have become more common in the NHS over the last decade and my experience (without exception) is that when they end, they end.

@foreverbasil If its does come to the rnd of a project. do you k ow where that will leave me? will i be offered something different?

You could reply to HR and ask what the purpose of the meeting is so you can be prepared?

As a pp said, if you've worked for the NHS for coming up to 2 years then they may be looking at whether they need to offer redeployment. They might be trying to find out if you have another job lined up so they wouldn't need to.

Something to check on: even though you have a fixed date for your contract to end, they still have to give you notice IIRC. My DH once got paid for an extra month because his employer had forgotten to do this.

It depends entirely on your length of service with your current employer. Did you come in specifically for this contract or were you seconded into across the Trust

@foreverbasil i was brought in for this specific project. i knew when i applied it wpuld be fixed term. I am exec assistant/coordinator as my job title (not a burse or clinical. i started in sept 2023 and my contract ends march 2025. during my time of working here it has already been extended twice.

Im just worried of having no job whatsoever after my meeting with HR. this is my biggest fear of the outcome... can this happen or would they need to find me another role or offer me something elsewhere or is it literally a case of "contract has ended, here is your redundancy" ??

I have a great relationship with colleagues and management and i do my work well. i have given them no reasons for them to want to get rid of me. so im hoping im offered a job, any job, just not no job at all if that makes sense.... but what is the liklihood of this to happen... is there really a chance i will have no job whatsoever?

maybe emailling HR to find out a bit more is a good idea. i shall do this in the morning.

IMO: contract ending simply means no job for you. There will be no redundancy as the post is not being made redundant, just ending as per the contract. They may offer another role, but the onus is not on them to do so.
It seems likely the meeting is to confirm the end date, so you will have a 'notice period ' of the meeting until the end date. But that will depend on if the contract requires notice to be given.

@foreverbasil myself and the whole entire team are on fixed term contracts. some are on secondments. those who are on fixed term contracts, theirs run out march 2026. it is only my contract and 1 other colleagues that is running out soonest which is march 2025. everyone else is march 2026. I emailed my manager today to say i have a meeting with HR next week regarding my contract ending in March 2025 and her response was that she is still awaiting to hear about whether or not there is funding there. that they would have had answers by now, but due to the new government that has come in it has caused a delay with funding. so she still doesnt know about funding....

how does that sound to you? should i be concerned im without a job and left to my own devices to find another do you thibk?

i just really hope im offered sometjing else or redeployed even rather than redundancy and no job :-s

I don’t understand why you think they would owe you anything after your fixed term contract ends?

@TooManyNiblings thank you kindly. in the nhs though is it more likely for them to find/offer something else. i know its not onus but in your experience does usually the nhs help with this in case you dnt find somthing yourself? is it likely they will offer me something?

so basically do you think the meeting is more a discussion and tick box exercise for HR to do but things will be ok?

You won't be eligible for redundancy. You are working a fixed term contract which ends in March. Go to the meeting and find out whether there is a role for you or not. MN won't be able to answer your question.

@Lakel i understand that, i just thought nhs may want to avoid redundancey to save money perhaps and kinda look after good colleagues rather than seeing them go? im not sure though which is why im asking.

in most cases ive seen ive never really seen anyone without a job after fixed term ends?

If your fixed term contract comes to an end, then you have no job, which you were aware of? There may be other things you can apply for there but they are not obliged to help you find another job, that’s entirely up to you, and I would be starting to look now.

You’re not being made redundant though, there is no money for them to save. You’ll get paid to the end of your contract and that’s it.

I don't think you'll be eligible for redundancy I'm afraid.

Whether they want to keep on good people is another point entirely, I hope they do have something else for you but I wouldn’t rely on it. Anyway see what happens in the meeting? I hope it’s good news for you.

Fixed terms just end when they end. No redundancy. Possibly as NHS is such a big organisation they may try to find you something I guess.

I think they will just let you go

We hire a lot of people on short term contracts for particular roles/projects. When their contract ends, that's usually it for them. Roles are tied to finding and if we only had funding for, say, a 12 month role, we can't magic up new money.

You aren't being made redundant though, your fixed term contract is just ending. The onus is on you to find another job. I don't understand what you were expecting.

I work in the NHS on fixed term contracts. They do try to find other roles for you, but IME this is usually managed by dept managers rather than HR. I have also known jobs be advertised only for people at risk of redundancy but that won't apply to you unfortunately.

It may be that the HR process is a bit separate. They have had no notification from your managers to keep you on. They may start the process and then your managers separately may be able to keep you on. It sounds stressful for you.

Iys part of the fixed term job policy to have a meeting 3 months before the end to inform you that it is coming to it.

They are supposed to offer you 'support', ie. How to look and apply for other roles etc...but it won't be anything you don't already know in all likelihood.

They might inform you that they are looking at extending, funding dependent but not to count on it. Its not the case any longer that fixed term roles are more likely to lead to permanent roles in the NHS. Sadly, funding is so limited and when the money is not there any longer, it just isn't even for top performing people.

@BendingSpoons @vivainsomnia thank you for your advice. I have contacted my line manager today to ask what the plans are and my options are. I asked will this end in March 2025 when it says it does or is there plans to extend, redeploy or other opportunities within the team for me to apply for.

feeling anxious about my meeting with HR next week.

Really hoping its an axtension or redeployment. just fearful of being out of work completely!