How to start our nurses doing out of hours during the week- pay, time etc?

RE: How to start our nurses doing out of hours during the week- pay, time etc?

VNsmac — Sat, 09 Jan 2016 15:30:08 GMT

At a previous practice i worked at i lived nearest to the practice and so would be paid £10 a night to go in and check on any inpatients. It wasn't a mega busy practice and we had a branch that covered ooh's which we would refer any unstable patients to, so it would literally be me going in and checking IV's were patent and the patients were clean and occasionally administer meds but nothing too taxing and it wasn't necessary every night. I was also on the ooh's rota at the branch practice (as were all nursing staff) for which we didn't get paid, even though we had to stay at the practice overnight and answer the phone, unless we actually saw something and then we would get £10/consult and the vet £20.

I currently work ooh's full time but to be honest if i ever did go back to working days i wouldn't be interested in a job which required me to do ooh's cover as well as i don't believe anyone ever gets paid fairly for it and it is just too tiring and you can never fully relax.

RE: How to start our nurses doing out of hours during the week- pay, time etc?

Tania Ford — Wed, 06 Jan 2016 08:56:42 GMT

At my practice we have to work at least one nights duty per week and then one full weekend in 4. This is part of our salary so we do not get paid any extra for being 'on call' and are expected to work a full day after with no 'lieu time off'. If we need to check an in-patient we are paid a standard fee of 12 pounds (sorry no pound sign working on keyboard lol) for the first check then 10 pounds for each subsequent check needed. As to the 11 hour rule, most practices will have the 40 hour rule written into their contracts stating that they are happy to 'opt out' of it - much the same as doctors and nurses. You can however 'opt in' to the 40 hour rule if you put it in writing giving your employers 1 months notice. Employers are not allowed to penalise you if you do this as it is legally 'optional'. I had a problem with a previous employer who expected me to work a straight 39 hour 'on call' weekend, where i was expected to stay at the practice, take all phone calls and treat in-patients, for no extra pay and to work a full 40 hour week before and after my on call weekend!, so i obviously looked into this. You can find all the information you need about this on the government website.

Good luck with your negotiations x

RE: How to start our nurses doing out of hours during the week- pay, time etc?

kerryfeehan — Tue, 05 Jan 2016 20:09:05 GMT

At my previous place we were expected to go back to work on a Saturday and Sunday night to deal with any inpatients (although personally I don't really agree with keeping sick animals in when there is no one on site 24/7) and just received our standard hourly rate. I don't think that is acceptable personally when you consider fuel costs and travel time etc. We would tend to work a Saturday until 4pm and then would have to go back about 7.30pm so that worked fine in regards to working time directive as we would start at 8.30am next day.

RE: How to start our nurses doing out of hours during the week- pay, time etc?

Sue Cox — Tue, 05 Jan 2016 18:58:44 GMT

Is this just if they are expected to stay at the practice on their nights though? Ours will be literally coming in to check inpatients probably just a last check depending on case by case severity and then they'll go home again- obviously pending any call outs!

There is talk of £15 going to the on call (per night) to the nurse plus a charge to clients for call outs, but not anything extra for going in for inpatients checks- some of our nurses live half an hour away too. Just trying to get info to back our corner really!

RE: How to start our nurses doing out of hours during the week- pay, time etc?

Heather Bacon — Tue, 05 Jan 2016 18:50:56 GMT

I'm about to start a new job that use it's normal day nurses for the nights too, but on a rota system. A nurse gets put on the rota for week day nights, and a separate nurse for weekend nights. They don't go to work during the day when they are on nights rota.

So for example if you work mon-thurs nights you get fri/sat/sun off.

If you work fri-sun nights you get mon & tues off.

Think my friend worked in a place where they worked the night but then got the next day off.

RE: How to start our nurses doing out of hours during the week- pay, time etc?

Sue Cox — Tue, 05 Jan 2016 18:21:56 GMT

Yes probably. I've done that because of last night anyway! I imagine its unfortunately broken a lot in our profession.

We are bringing it in for 2 main reasons: It makes the vets lives easier- if they have someone to help them etc. But also (last night for instance) to stop nurses getting randomly called in- although its not as random as I'd like- due to a few factors I get called out the most and want it resolved for my sanity!

Do you have separate night staff then? We aren't at that level yet that's its financially viable.

RE: How to start our nurses doing out of hours during the week- pay, time etc?

The Pikachu_Collector — Tue, 05 Jan 2016 18:17:37 GMT

If you then have to work the following day, isn't that breaking the 11 hour no return to work rule? Working time directives etc....?

I'm not I'd want to go back to on call in the week, then working the next day. I used to be exhausted after emergencies