Had NHS Interview - unsuccessful Is it really that hard to get in the NHS + find work

Dizzy_Ditzy

Retrievermomma31 wrote: »

The NHS is an awful company to work for please for god's sake, if you are successful, don't stay for long.
That place is the most demoralising, unproffesional, bureaucratic dump I've ever worked in.
The managers are significantly underqualified and, it seems, as long as you know someone who works in a particular department, you will get the job no matter how many more efficient and qualified people are against you.
So it's easy to work your way up if you don't care about patient safety or have any morals.

Before working here I had barely had a sick day, and a couple of years in I had a breakdown and was off sick for 6 months. Yes, I was a higher band than band 2, but some would say it's worse, in some respects, as a band 2.
Trust me you don't want to work here.
Leaving this place was the best thing I've ever done.

Sorry for the negative rant I just would hate for someone to go through what so many NHS workers go through!

There's a good reason I got out too. I went to a different trust and it was worse - they stole my B3 from me, leaving me to do three people's work by myself. I handed in my notice and didn't see it out because it was making me ill. That's how I know just how bad it is at that particular trust, along with the accounts of a lot of my friends

The amount of abuse from certain patients because we couldn't offer them the service that they, and we wanted to offer

I'm much, much happier where I am now.

Having said that, I worked at both trusts the OP is referring to and would definitely recommend one over the other in terms of working environment and staff morale. The other seems to want to drive all their staff away and not replace them, spreading the workload onto other, already way overworked staff

If it weren't for the goodwill of the staff, the NHS would have been ash a long, long time ago.

Polarbeary

I used to be a band 4 medical secretary...but now in that particular Trust, all new med secs are band 3s and a band 4 is a senior med sec! They also have band 2 audio typists although in a few years they won't have any audio typists and fewer med secs as they want to automate all dictation. Many Trusts have already outsourced dictation to India and the Philippines...

Outpatient clerks are being reduced too at one of my local hospitals. Many desks are now unmanned or only have one clerk per shift and patients check themselves in for clinic.

Nursing staff and allied healthcare professions are not immune. I've read and heard that the plan is to reduce / downgrade staff (many specialist nurses have been downgraded from a 6/7 to a 5) and the future of the NHS is going to be mainly band 4 assistant practitioners doing the work of band 5s now.

For example, one band 5 staff nurse per shift to co-ordinate and do the drugs, trained band 4s doing what nurses do, supported by a couple of band 2/3 HCAs.

It's happening in other areas too - band 2/3/4 therapy assistants, clinician assistants and assistant practitioners. Cheaper than registered staff.

There is also an increase in the number of apprentice administrator jobs that pay £130 a week! They hire you for a year, you get an NVQ Level 2 out of it (I did a free one via Vision2Learn which is government funded) and I imagine at the end of the year they wave you bye bye and get a new apprentice in.

Predaleko1984

Can you be any age to be an apprentice or is it just aimed to the kids? Sad we're in a cheap labour mentality.

I didn't attend the bank admin job interview, as I've spent most of the week in bed with a vicious cold. Could barely speak!

I am feeling annoyed at the moment as I'm sick of agencies asking me to come in, be on their books and no jobs. I'm feeling mega annoyed at the fact the job near where I want to live, they didn't shortlist me! The company over-seeing the position said to go for a care job - er, I was a full-time carer for my ex until his death, and that was hard. Plus I'm not fit enough.

Just sick of the humiliating signing on every fortnight. Started to think where I am living now is holding me back - just wish I had enough money to move, unless there is a deposit scheme somewhere?

Guest101

Retrievermomma31 wrote: »

The NHS is an awful company to work for please for god's sake, if you are successful, don't stay for long.
That place is the most demoralising, unproffesional, bureaucratic dump I've ever worked in.
The managers are significantly underqualified and, it seems, as long as you know someone who works in a particular department, you will get the job no matter how many more efficient and qualified people are against you.
So it's easy to work your way up if you don't care about patient safety or have any morals.

Before working here I had barely had a sick day, and a couple of years in I had a breakdown and was off sick for 6 months. Yes, I was a higher band than band 2, but some would say it's worse, in some respects, as a band 2.
Trust me you don't want to work here.
Leaving this place was the best thing I've ever done.

Sorry for the negative rant I just would hate for someone to go through what so many NHS workers go through!

1.4m people work for the NHS, yours is not a typical experience

t0rt0ise

I was very happy working for the NHS, not all departments are bad. I left because I wanted to give up full-time work but it's something I would have stayed in if I could.


The OP will never get a job in the NHS if they don't attend interviews!

WolfSong2000

I am a contractor so work across different NHS Trusts...they're all very different in the way they operate (at least the ones I have worked at). 2 were absolutely horrific and nearly drove me to a nervous breakdown, others have been "okay".

At current place, the team I work with is fantastic - lovely group of people, but my workload is horrific (I am a band 7 non-clinical covering the workload of 3-4 people on my own) and my manager is never on site and rarely responds to emails. It is stressful.

LannieDuck

Did you ask for feedback from your interview?

NHS interviews tend to be similar in style. If you do a couple, you'll get a feel for the type of questions you'll be asked, and can have answers prepared. If there's an internal candidate, it'll be more difficult because they're likely to have very relevant experience. However, it's not a fait accompli - i've been on an NHS interview panel where an external candidate was chosen over an internal.

If you're giving up after one interview, you may not be the sort of person they're looking for.

dawyldthing

If you're wanting to move is it a council property? As if the property is too big they often offer grants to move or if not and you have family in the area you want to go get on their list as if you have family in the area you'll get a higher banding.

Work wise register with cv library and reed. I had a number of phone calls from them. Support work might be good too as I know you said no care work but support work is generally getting people out and about in the community. There's an increase in jobs and if you send your cv ad hoc to a lot you might get your foot in the door

suki1964

Predaleko1984 wrote: »

Can you be any age to be an apprentice or is it just aimed to the kids? Sad we're in a cheap labour mentality.

I didn't attend the bank admin job interview, as I've spent most of the week in bed with a vicious cold. Could barely speak!

I am feeling annoyed at the moment as I'm sick of agencies asking me to come in, be on their books and no jobs. I'm feeling mega annoyed at the fact the job near where I want to live, they didn't shortlist me! The company over-seeing the position said to go for a care job - er, I was a full-time carer for my ex until his death, and that was hard. Plus I'm not fit enough.

Just sick of the humiliating signing on every fortnight. Started to think where I am living now is holding me back - just wish I had enough money to move, unless there is a deposit scheme somewhere?

Seriously, you spent nearly a week in bed with a cold?

Seriously?

You had an interview

You are ' desperate' for a job

But you let a cold stop you attending an interview


You never heard of a pharmacy , day nurse, lemsip, throat lozenges?


Seriously if I wanted a job so much I'd have walked over hot coals to ensure I got to the interview

raiiiraiii

Hi,

I'm 17 years of age and a 6th form student -currently studying science A Levels.

I have recently received an offer to come to an interview for the position of a medical records administer at a local NHS hospital. The interview is on the 21/07 (next friday).

It's my first ever formal interview which would take place face-to-face (I've had other interviews via video conferencing).

I'm pretty nervous -is there any advice which you could give me?

What type of questions will I be asked?
What will happen on the day?

I've had lots of previous NHS experience under well-known senior consultants and their teams (2 clinical placements and 1 administrative placement).

I've been offered jobs and interviews of different job sectors, however, this is a position which I would really love to take up. I really want the job!

I've also been placed on a reserve candidate interview list for another role within the NHS which deals with blood donation. Could someone explain what this means in a bit of detail?

All advice and tips welcome.
Thanks:)