Should I move from Agency Temp to Bank work in the NHS or not?

SChitmehard

Hi,

I have started a job in the NHS as a locum/temp via an agency, and it looks like it will approx 4-6 month stint.  The dept is quite stretched and they have previously advertised Bank roles to fill sick/maternity cover but they didn't get any applications.

The dept have now again advertised Bank positions (that if filled may mean my stint is cut short) and I'm wondering if I should apply and get off agency/temp. 

Has anyone got any advice on something like this or done it themselves and can tell me what the advantages and disadvantages are of moving from temp/agency to Bank?

Thanks

gwynlas

If  they are actively recruiting for bank work then you would be better off with NHS than agency. It gives you an in  ifpermanent posts are advertised

Marcon

SChitmehard said:

Hi,

I have started a job in the NHS as a locum/temp via an agency, and it looks like it will approx 4-6 month stint.  The dept is quite stretched and they have previously advertised Bank roles to fill sick/maternity cover but they didn't get any applications.

The dept have now again advertised Bank positions (that if filled may mean my stint is cut short) and I'm wondering if I should apply and get off agency/temp. 

Has anyone got any advice on something like this or done it themselves and can tell me what the advantages and disadvantages are of moving from temp/agency to Bank?

Thanks

If you become an NHS bank worker, you'd normally get access to the NHS pension scheme - which I doubt you get via your current agency?

lr1277

Here is my experience, some of which may be relevant to you. Edited to add my time in the NHS finished 10 years ago so I don't know how things have changed since then.

I joined a hospital as a permenent person in 2005 and was put on the 'old' pension scheme i.e. final salary.

Then after a redundancy, I was asked back but as Bank staff run by the hospital. Still on the old final salary scheme.

Other than the pension the other advantage of the scheme was that it was pure pay, no deductions for holiday so I could take as much or as little holiday as I wished and/or the the manager allowed.

Then without consulting us first, the hospital moved the bank staff to NHS Professionals. The pension scheme was defined contribution i.e. not final salary. Also there was a deduction for holiday pay which had to be taken.

The other advantage of the hospital's bank staff was that the hospital's personnel department was much more contactable than the personnel department at NHS Professionals.

So you could ask who is the actual employer of the bank workers.

I don't know the pension arrangement now for NHS workers but you could ask if it is defined contribution or defined benefit. And if it is defined contribution you could ask if that is different from the permanent staff. I suppose this all depends on how long you want to stay in the job.

Hope that helps.

2nd edit: whoever you work for be it the agency or NHS Professionals, ensure you download and print your pay slips and other documents. Don't imagine you will have access to those documents should you leave your employer. If you work directly for a hospital, you might be ok with documents like pay slips, P60's though I am making no guarantees.

General_Grant

lr1277 said:

. . ..

Other than the pension the other advantage of the scheme was that it was pure pay, no deductions for holiday so I could take as much or as little holiday as I wished and/or the the manager allowed.

. . .

@lr1277 - please, what do you mean by the words in bold?

lr1277

Perhaps I expressed myself badly. 

The short answer is that when working bank for the hospital there was no holiday leave entitlement. When working bank with NHS Professionals there was holiday leave entitlement.

So whilst i was doing the same job between the two employers and they both paid the same gross amount, the net pay was lower with NHS Professionals to cover the holiday leave entitlement.

I hope that explains the situation. If not I can try and clarify a bit further.

Edited to add: when working with NHS Professionals every hour I worked (for them), some time would be accrued to go towards my holiday leave entitlement. Once I had accrued enough time, I was expected to take annual leave.

2nd edit: my experience is from over 10 years ago and things may have changed since then. Especially around pay and annual leave entitlements.

Savvy_Sue

lr1277 said:

2nd edit: my experience is from over 10 years ago and things may have changed since then. Especially around pay and annual leave entitlements.

Indeed, it's highly likely that you'd have to accrue and take paid holiday these days: it's very rare for an employer not to have to do this.

General_Grant

lr1277 said:

Perhaps I expressed myself badly. 

The short answer is that when working bank for the hospital there was no holiday leave entitlement. When working bank with NHS Professionals there was holiday leave entitlement.

So whilst i was doing the same job between the two employers and they both paid the same gross amount, the net pay was lower with NHS Professionals to cover the holiday leave entitlement.

I hope that explains the situation. If not I can try and clarify a bit further.

Edited to add: when working with NHS Professionals every hour I worked (for them), some time would be accrued to go towards my holiday leave entitlement. Once I had accrued enough time, I was expected to take annual leave.

2nd edit: my experience is from over 10 years ago and things may have changed since then. Especially around pay and annual leave entitlements.

My NHS experience (CCGs) is also from 10 years ago.  Bank staff had payslips which showed the hours worked multiplied by the hourly rate and separately a line for holiday pay.  So one effectively took holiday as it accrued but actual holiday was not paid at the time.

lr1277

I checked one of my payslips from NHS Professionals. There was no reduction to cover holiday pay. However I was paid for a 7.5 hour rest day.

Jami74

SChitmehard said:

Hi,

I have started a job in the NHS as a locum/temp via an agency, and it looks like it will approx 4-6 month stint.  The dept is quite stretched and they have previously advertised Bank roles to fill sick/maternity cover but they didn't get any applications.

The dept have now again advertised Bank positions (that if filled may mean my stint is cut short) and I'm wondering if I should apply and get off agency/temp. 

Has anyone got any advice on something like this or done it themselves and can tell me what the advantages and disadvantages are of moving from temp/agency to Bank?

Thanks

I've worked as a locum, on bank and substantive. My locum take-home pay, via an agency was far more than bank pay. However, this is partly due to the NHS pension. The NHS pension (defined benefit) is so good for what it costs that I would go without food before opting out and once I realised what I'd been missing out on by being a locum I decided I'd never do it again. By being directly employed by NHS you are also investing in your future income. Bank pays a small percentage extra (pre-deductions) than substantive to take into account annual leave. As bank you also do the trusts mandatory training and might have access to other training opportunities through them. You get supplied with uniform if it's required and get an NHS email address so can get Blue light card etc. Also, may help if you decide to apply for a substantive role.

Tldr: Agency take-home pay may be a bit more but the benefits of being directly employed by the NHS outweighs that in my experience.