NEWS
NHS Employers support unsocial hours pay, but want reduced rates By Alistair Kleebauer
@alistairbauer
More than 80 per cent of NHS employers believe staff should receive extra pay for working unsocial hours. In its submission to the NHS Pay Review Body (RB), which is looking at how seven-day services can be introduced at no extra cost, NHS Employers says most employers are in favour of retaining enhanced pay. Its survey of employers found 82 per cent agreed that the NHS should continue to pay enhancements for some unsocial hours working. The government has asked the RB to consider a number of options, including scrapping unsocial hours pay altogether. The Department of Health wants the NHS to move to a full seven-day service model by 2016/17 so patients receive exactly the same level of care at weekends as in the week. There is evidence that mortality rates are higher in hospitals at the weekend. However, despite a willingness to retain
unsocial hours pay, NHS Employers does want to reduce rates and apply it to fewer hours in the week. It suggests ‘plain time’ should be extended from 8pm until 10pm on weekdays, so staff would work another two hours on their usual hourly rate.
Counterproductive
RCN head of employment relations Josie Irwin said: ‘Most nursing staff already work across seven days. ‘It seems employers are fixated on further cuts to pay – which NHS England chief executive Simon Stevens and others have acknowledged is unsustainable, and which will be counterproductive – rather than more imaginative reorganisations of the way in which services are delivered and work is done.’ Other options put forward by NHS Employers include extending plain time pay between 6am and 10pm on weekdays and Saturdays. The most radical suggested change is to only pay public holidays and night shifts
(reclassified as 10pm to 6am) at an unsocial hours rate, which would mean staff working day shifts at the weekend would get no extra money. Under Agenda for Change staff are entitled to varying rates of extra pay, from time plus 30 per cent to double time for working nights (8pm to 6am), weekends and public holidays. The largest group of staff in the NHS is qualified nurses, midwifery and health visiting staff on band 5 (around 100,000 full-time posts). NHS Employers acknowledges in its submission that unsocial hours pay makes up 12 per cent of this group’s basic pay. An NHS Employers spokesperson said: ‘We have set out a range of illustrative options for a new unsocial hours payments system for the consideration of the RB. Feedback from most employers suggested that some unsocial hours payments were still needed, particularly for working at night.’ See analysis page 14
Charity provides nurse support to thyroid cancer patients Macmillan Cancer Support has appointed its first thyroid cancer information nurse specialist to work on its national support line. Geraldine Hamilton, who has experience as a nurse in oncology, palliative care and research, said thyroid cancer is a relatively rare disease so people affected can find it difficult to get information and support. Ms Hamilton, who will be based in Glasgow, added: ‘It is important that people affected by thyroid cancer are given accurate information about the effects of treatment, as well as coping with life after they have been treated.’ To contact the Macmillan Support Line call 0808 808 0000.
Nurse Geraldine Hamilton
NURSING STANDARD january 21 :: vol 29 no 21 :: 2015 11 Downloaded from RCNi.com by ${individualUser.displayName} on Nov 15, 2015. For personal use only. No other uses without permission. Copyright © 2015 RCNi Ltd. All rights reserved.
NHS Employers support unsocial hours pay, but want reduced rates By Alistair Kleebauer
@alistairbauer
More than 80 per cent of NHS employers believe staff should receive extra pay for working unsocial hours. In its submission to the NHS Pay Review Body (RB), which is looking at how seven-day services can be introduced at no extra cost, NHS Employers says most employers are in favour of retaining enhanced pay. Its survey of employers found 82 per cent agreed that the NHS should continue to pay enhancements for some unsocial hours working. The government has asked the RB to consider a number of options, including scrapping unsocial hours pay altogether. The Department of Health wants the NHS to move to a full seven-day service model by 2016/17 so patients receive exactly the same level of care at weekends as in the week. There is evidence that mortality rates are higher in hospitals at the weekend. However, despite a willingness to retain
unsocial hours pay, NHS Employers does want to reduce rates and apply it to fewer hours in the week. It suggests ‘plain time’ should be extended from 8pm until 10pm on weekdays, so staff would work another two hours on their usual hourly rate.
Counterproductive
RCN head of employment relations Josie Irwin said: ‘Most nursing staff already work across seven days. ‘It seems employers are fixated on further cuts to pay – which NHS England chief executive Simon Stevens and others have acknowledged is unsustainable, and which will be counterproductive – rather than more imaginative reorganisations of the way in which services are delivered and work is done.’ Other options put forward by NHS Employers include extending plain time pay between 6am and 10pm on weekdays and Saturdays. The most radical suggested change is to only pay public holidays and night shifts
(reclassified as 10pm to 6am) at an unsocial hours rate, which would mean staff working day shifts at the weekend would get no extra money. Under Agenda for Change staff are entitled to varying rates of extra pay, from time plus 30 per cent to double time for working nights (8pm to 6am), weekends and public holidays. The largest group of staff in the NHS is qualified nurses, midwifery and health visiting staff on band 5 (around 100,000 full-time posts). NHS Employers acknowledges in its submission that unsocial hours pay makes up 12 per cent of this group’s basic pay. An NHS Employers spokesperson said: ‘We have set out a range of illustrative options for a new unsocial hours payments system for the consideration of the RB. Feedback from most employers suggested that some unsocial hours payments were still needed, particularly for working at night.’ See analysis page 14
Charity provides nurse support to thyroid cancer patients Macmillan Cancer Support has appointed its first thyroid cancer information nurse specialist to work on its national support line. Geraldine Hamilton, who has experience as a nurse in oncology, palliative care and research, said thyroid cancer is a relatively rare disease so people affected can find it difficult to get information and support. Ms Hamilton, who will be based in Glasgow, added: ‘It is important that people affected by thyroid cancer are given accurate information about the effects of treatment, as well as coping with life after they have been treated.’ To contact the Macmillan Support Line call 0808 808 0000.
Nurse Geraldine Hamilton
NURSING STANDARD january 21 :: vol 29 no 21 :: 2015 11 Downloaded from RCNi.com by ${individualUser.displayName} on Nov 15, 2015. For personal use only. No other uses without permission. Copyright © 2015 RCNi Ltd. All rights reserved.
