Any NHS managers or NHS HR people on here? Advice needed

[prestongirl89]

My direct line manager has been off on longterm sickness for the last couple of months, with no return in sight yet.
We currently have no actual manager who we can approach with day-to-day issues. There are a couple of Band 4 colleagues on the team but they are not approachable. They shut themselves away in a separate room away from the rest of us Band 3s. For context, we're an admin team specialising in elderly care. Very busy.

Ever since our manager went off sick, standards have slipped and we've all been invited to a meeting with a big boss next week because we've also voiced separately that we're not happy at work.

One team member is late for work most days. The Band 4s obviously haven't done anything to address this. It's been going on for weeks, causing resentment . Our manager has very high standards and is strict about timekeeping. She was always insistent that anyone who arrives late needs to make up the time, as well as having a reason. This colleague walks into the office without a care in the world, some morning up to 15 minutes late, citing public transport problems.

Another colleague (on of the Band 4s) has being having regular "emergency calls from DC school" on a Friday afternoon, meaning that she has to leave. Last time this happened, she was seen with child in a local park a couple of hours later and looked rather sheepish when she knew she'd been spotted. Incidentally, it was the same afternoon she'd mentioned having a a house viewing. So, we suspect the "phone call from school" wasn't that.

I was off sick with a chronic and well-documented pre-existing health condition for a couple of week in the summer holidays. When I called to explain I'd been written off by GP, the other Band 4 on the team made some inappropriate remarks about how coincidental I'm sick during the school holidays. I said FYI I was actually TOO sick to have my child at home (they had to stay with grandparents). I spoke to the union rep about the remarks and she confirmed it was out of line.

Question is, next week all Band 2 and 3 team members are due to be interviewed about the ill-feeling and and toxic environment in the office that's been getting worse since our manager has been absent.

Do I mention the above points? I know other people on the team are going to mention about the person who is nearly always late and the Band 4 who bunks off early on Fridays.

How do I mention these points in a way that is professional and doesn't sound catty or bitchy?

@prestongirl89 the way I would approach it is - manager (who is absent) has clear boundaries and ensures we all adhere to recommended ways of working and protocols. This ensures everyone is treated fairly and consistently and understands what is required.

In the manager’s absence no one has taken responsibility for this oversight and as a result there has been a slip in standards by some, but not all, team members. This lack of oversight means some staff are continuing the high standards and adhering to ways of working and protocols and others are not. This is leading to a growing feeling of resentment by some of the team.

Then give general examples without naming names e.g. starting late and not making up lost time.

The simple solution is for someone to be given responsibility for overseeing the team and ensuring consistent application of ways of working and protocols etc.

This keeps it professional and gives them a solution.