Resigning from current NHS post and going on to bank

Rheumatoid

Hi, my wife has worked continually for the NHS since 1986. full time to 1995 and 3 days a week thereafter.

She is not 60 until Feb 2024.

She is intending to resign her current post (but not retire) wef 31/8/2023 but they have asked if she will take on bank work from 1/10/23 until she retires at NPA.

Is this bank work pensionable and is there anything we need to be careful of regarding her current pension entitlement?

Thanks

Stubod

I left full time NHS employment, and then registererd with the local Health Board as a bank worker and as such I continued to pay into my NHS pension, (2015 scheme). The "new" scheme as of April is a lot more flexible regarding continuing to woek and pensions as they are keen to keep staff as long as possible.

ManMadeWays

Why Bank rather than part time ? My wife retired at 55 then carried on, gets pension and pay,  continuous service for holiday/sick etc same terms of service, has joined 2015 scheme. With Bank you get a little more control of days but no sick pay, no training days etc

lr1277

My experience is from 12 years ago, but may provide useful information to your wife and require further investigation.

I was full-tme at a hospital. They made me redundant in 2010. They asked me to work on bank. I did so. The pension continued to be the final salary pension from when I started in 2005.

However without any consultation, all the bank staff were moved to NHS Professionals (I think). But basically a 3rd party and no longer the hospital.

Disadvantages for me.

Now on a money purchase scheme as in defined contribution.

The hospital used to pay a rate and you got that rate if you worked. With NHS Professionals, within their rate was provision for annual leave which you had to accrue and spend. This mean you got less money than working for the hospital even though you were on the same salary band as hospital bank staff. But you did get the entitlement to annual leave. I preferred the higher rate and deciding when I wanted to go on a/l and for how long.

If your wife is on a scheme from before 2000, that in my mind is a good thing.

Stubod

ManMadeWays said:

Why Bank rather than part time ? My wife retired at 55 then carried on, gets pension and pay,  continuous service for holiday/sick etc same terms of service, has joined 2015 scheme. With Bank you get a little more control of days but no sick pay, no training days etc

..because bank work gives you the opportunity of working when you want to work rather than being on a "fixed" schedule. NB If I am booked to work and I happen to be sick on the day I am booked to work I still get paid. Also get holiday pay acccrued for each hout worked.

Rheumatoid

ManMadeWays said:

Why Bank rather than part time ? My wife retired at 55 then carried on, gets pension and pay,  continuous service for holiday/sick etc same terms of service, has joined 2015 scheme. With Bank you get a little more control of days but no sick pay, no training days etc

She wants the flexibility to care for her Mum 

DietIrnBru

The flexibility offered by bank does come with downsides - no sick pay, less access to training, no accrual of holiday entitlement. 

What I will say it offers is freedom to choose your shifts that better suit your schedule - me personally I prefer Fridays and weekends - night shifts are a thing of the past - opportunity to work in a different speciality which can be difficult to achieve unless you change role - no involvement in the petty politics, just come in, look after a patient as best you can and go home. I would say I am less ill and run down because I can pace myself better. 

I work for my trust on a part time basis but also do bank shifts - both roles pay into the NHS pension. 

lr1277

I suppose I should add I was in the IT/Admin side of the hospital. I was also full-time. I left the NHS in 2014.

I don't know where your wife is going to work. She may and go and work for her current boss and so know how said boss operates.

But as bank staff she is at the mercy of the boss and the work that is offered. The shifts and types of work she is offered may not appeal.

At least with part-time work she will know where she is working and the hours to be worked. That may not fit in with looking after her mother, but that is a decision for her to make.

Stubod

DietIrnBru said:

The flexibility offered by bank does come with downsides - no sick pay, less access to training, no accrual of holiday entitlement. 

..yes you do get holiday accruel, normally around 1 hr per 8.33 hours you work. You book this as and when you want the extra money. (I think it is a legal requirement, and they can't simply add it to your hourly rate for some reason that is lost on me...).

Likewise if you are booked for a shift and are "sick" then you get this paid, and I have never had any issues getting paid for any training  that I have done...

Flugelhorn

Stubod said:

DietIrnBru said:

The flexibility offered by bank does come with downsides - no sick pay, less access to training, no accrual of holiday entitlement. 

..yes you do get holiday accruel, normally around 1 hr per 8.33 hours you work. You book this as and when you want the extra money. (I think it is a legal requirement, and they can't simply add it to your hourly rate for some reason that is lost on me...).

Likewise if you are booked for a shift and are "sick" then you get this paid, and I have never had any issues getting paid for any training  that I have done...

I worked a sessional GP in a hospital trust and government organisation - we were paid annual leave at that rate every few months for the sessions we had done - couldn't actually take leave as we weren't due to work (?) so paying in lieu was how it was handled

Rheumatoid

lr1277 said:

I suppose I should add I was in the IT/Admin side of the hospital. I was also full-time. I left the NHS in 2014.

I don't know where your wife is going to work. She may and go and work for her current boss and so know how said boss operates.

But as bank staff she is at the mercy of the boss and the work that is offered. The shifts and types of work she is offered may not appeal.

At least with part-time work she will know where she is working and the hours to be worked. That may not fit in with looking after her mother, but that is a decision for her to make.

Thanks but she doesn't need the work and is doing them a favour. If a shift is not convenient she will refuse it or refuse bank work altogether.