Someone recently questioned the state of morale in the NHS and its fair to say it is currently at rock bottom. Taking pay aside for the moment.
At the Mid Yorks trust where the boss works, guidance from above a few years ago and still current now, it that all annual leave should be taken in a shared model in each of the four financial seasons, in other words 1/4 of their leave from April-June, 1/4 in July-September etc but bearing in mind the automated computer system monitors leave for each department and in the event one person takes off just one day on a given week, due to shortages, someone within the same department could not take a week off but just the remaining 6 days.
The idea of being actually advised when you should take off each 1/4 of your allowance was not popular but understood as the circumstances dictated that otherwise in summer it would be chaos.
Due to the pandemic, last year 2020 it was requested by the staff that their annual leave, which resulted in people taking much needed time off, but to go nowhere due to restrictions, might have some tolerance and perhaps a week might be carried over into the year 2021-2022. The resounding answer was NO.
As morale falls, sickness rates rise and agency staff end up costing the job more than ever.
A certain hospital in the Grimsby area contacted the boss through a forum she is on, to advertise for a Locum Sonographer to cover the entire month of March this year. Monday to Friday, 9 til 5 and offering £50 per hour.
She is on her 'seasonal' annual leave in the last week of March, which means she breaks no rules for working elsewhere, unlike throwing a sickie, which she never does.
Being the tight Yorkshireman, I pointed out that, it was only an hour's travel each way on a quiet motorway and it was a steady day/week for the money. She opted for the week off instead. There's no work in them !!
But, that is where the funding is now going in large amounts. and if they could realise that the troops are already going the 'extra mile' but with no support and do something about it, then add to it a sensible pay rise, they could alleviate a lot of localised problems which soon add up to a National one.