Following on..

The previous post which concerns the ASU announcment is somewhat worrying, I have calculated my earnings now against my earnings with their new proposal, and I will be £477 short.

Another blow to the overworked and understaffed NHS ambulance workers.

ASU announcement

Proposed changes to Unsocial Hours Payments

The proposed agreement for Unsocail Hours payments has now been published for consultation we have reviewed the document and now seek members views

The NHS Staff Council have now agreed a draft proposal for enhanced payments for working nights weekends and public holidays, the full document can be dowloaded by clicking on the link to the right of this page.

It would now appear that the earlier concerns expressed by the ASU have been addressed in so much that;

• The new payments will be count towards your pension.
• They will be paid when you are on annual leave.
• They will be paid when you are off sick.
• They may also now count towards your total salary for pay on promotion to a new pay band.

The new agreement can by local agreement be used as either a prospective (what we currently use) or retrospectively (paid for what you actually work).
If you are on a set shift pattern it would make sense for it to be calculated prospectively, however, if you are not on any set pattern and you work a lot of nights and weekends you may benefit from the retrospective scheme.

It is planned that this agreement will be implemented by 1st October 2007 for the NHS and the !st April 2008 for Ambulance staff, with transistional arrangements for those staff in band 2 & 3 moving onto the schem by April 2010.

AfC protection arrangements will apply to those staff who require it until 2011.

We would ask that you read the document fully and use the calculator provided, by clicking on the link to the right of this page, to make an informed decision and feedback any concerns you may have to your local branch representatives

EDIT: I have added the calculator to the blogroll!!

Oh no, It’s another full moon

I am absolutly convinced that full moons play a part in the human psyche, you can guarentee that when it is a full moon outside you will get an influx of psychiatric calls and overdose’s.

Or maybe it’s just one big conincedence, either way it’s very frustrating. I dont really have much time for people who have nothing better to do then take an overdose and then ring 999, the majority of such people are attention seekers, occasionally you get a genuine cry for help, when someone really has lost all hope and taking an overdose is a drastic conclusion for them. Then you get the idiots that take overdoses every day and abuse the 999 system.

But there is something about a full moon that makes normal people go that step further, maybe they are close to the edge and the influence of a full moon pushes them that little bit further?

Anyone who is reading this who works in the control room or on the road, just make a note of the amount of overdose’s and psychiatric jobs next time there is a full moon.