Human Resources ‘What If’ for Junior Medical Staff.
Contents
What if I am ill and cannot attend work?
What if I become pregnant while employed with NHS D&G?
What if my partner becomes pregnant and I wish to take paternity leave?
What if I wish to request annual leave/public holiday entitlement?
What if I can’t take all my annual leave, can I be paid for it?
What if I wish to request annual leave for a date in the future, but I will be in a different specialty at that time?
What if my salary on appointment is incorrect?
What if I wish to resign from my post?
What if I need to speak to someone confidentially?
What if I am unhappy about a decision which has been taken or an action that has been taken by my manager or the organisation?
What if I am unsure about my leave entitlement?
What if I have to work on a public holiday?
What if I have a question about the rota I am working to?
What if someone who is working on my rota leaves?
What if I am unsure about my immigration status / right to work in the UK?
What if I don’t have a national insurance number?
What if I want to join the NHS pension scheme?
What if I want to leave the NHS pension scheme?
What if I reside in the accommodation temporarily and travel home at weekends, can I be reimbursed for this?
What if my GMC membership expires during my employment with NHS D&G?
What if I don’t understand my payslip?
What if I don’t understand my contract of employment?
What if my contract is not for the correct duration?
What if I work on a public holiday?
What are the 5 contract agencies?
What relocation am I entitled to ?
What are the internal locum rates?
What travel reimbursement am I entitled to?
What if I need to confirm my employment ?
What if I change my address?
What if a finish a long shift and am too tired to drive home (as I do not stay in the residences)?
What if I am ill and cannot attend work?
You should first contact your Clinical Supervisor so that arrangements can be made to cover the service. You MUST also contact the Education Centre who will then inform HR, your departmental Senior Manager & your Educational Supervisor of your absence so it can be appropriately recorded.
What if I become pregnant while employed with NHS D&G?
You should initially consult the NHS D&G maternity leave policy which is available on the HR section of the Intranet. This will outline your obligations and entitlements. Then you should notify your manager and complete the maternity leave application form which is in the policy. You will be required to submit a copy of your MAT B1 certificate which you should get from their midwife.
What if my partner becomes pregnant and I wish to take paternity leave?
You should initially consult the NHS D&G paternity leave policy which is which is available on the HR section of the Intranet. This will outline your obligations and entitlements. Then you should request the leave from your manager and complete the paternity leave application form which is in the policy. You will be required to submit a copy of your partners MAT B1 certificate which they should get from their midwife.
What if I wish to request annual leave/public holiday entitlement?
In some rotas the annual leave is allocated so you should check this with the person who manages the rota in your specialty first.
Where annual leave is not allocated you should request the dates that you want giving as much notice as possible. You should make the request initially to the person who manages the rota and ensure that the general managers office is aware of this to record the leave as taken.
If the rota manager cannot accommodate this then they should try to find an alternative date for you to take your leave.
What if I can’t take all my annual leave, can I be paid for it?
Only in extremely exceptional circumstances will any member of staff be paid in lieu of their annual leave (and it is required by the Working Time Directive that the statutory leave entitlement is taken not paid for in lieu). The person who manages the rota in each specialty should try to accommodate or allocate leave which has not been used before the end of the placement in the specialty.
What if I wish to request annual leave for a date in the future, but I will be in a different specialty at that time?
You should make contact with the specialty department where you will be when you wish to take that leave and request it.
What if my salary on appointment is incorrect?
All new members of staff to NHS D&G will be placed on the bottom point of the appropriate scale in the first instance. If you have provided the HR department with your most recent payslip then it may take until your second payslip to show (depending on when you send it to HR). Where you have not provided a recent payslip then you should provide evidence of previous experience which is equivalent to the post you have been appointed to for the HR department to consider.
What if I wish to resign from my post?
You should notify your manager in writing and copy this to the HR department. Your notice period will be notified to you in your contract of employment.
What if I need to speak to someone confidentially?
You can contact a member of the HR department on the contact details below. You can also speak to colleagues in the Education centre, clinical supervisors.
NHS D&G operates a code of positive behaviour and an anti-bullying and harassment policy (both of which are available on the Intranet).
What if I am unhappy about a decision which has been taken or an action that has been taken by my manager or the organisation?
You have the right, in accordance with the organisation’s grievance policy (which is available on the intranet) to have the grievance considered by a manager who will formally hear the situation and seek to resolve this.
What if I am unsure about my leave entitlement?
Your leave entitlement will be notified to you in your contract of employment. However, for ease
FY & FY2 – 25 days + 8 public holidays
CT, ST, LAT – 25 days + 8 public holidays
CT, ST, LAT (on 3rd point of the salary scale or higher) – 30 days + 8 public holidays
What if I have to work on a public holiday?
You are entitled to the day back at another time which you should request from your manager. It may be that leave is prospectively built into the rota to compensate for some public holiday working so it is worth checking this with the person who manages the rota in your specialty.
What if I have a question about the rota I am working to?
The New Deal contract for junior doctors states the terms and conditions surrounding rota management. In accordance with the agreed Code of Practice, all template rotas with New Deal analysis reports have been sent to you 4 weeks prior to appointment. Diary monitoring will occur twice per year for each rota which will allow the organisation to monitor whether rotas are compliant with New Deal and Working Time Directive requirements. Results of the diary monitoring will also be available on the HR section of the intranet.
What if someone who is working on my rota leaves?
The Board, in managing junior doctor rotas, will ensure that when the need arises to review and/or change a rota to accommodate vacancies, absences etc that this will be discussed with the staff working the rota and the clinical leader with responsibility for the rota (or nominated representatives as appropriate). This is to ensure that any short term measures are time limited and that a sustainable solution, which may be include changing the rota template, is agreed and implemented within an appropriate and agreed timescale.
This approach is intended to support and not replace the arrangements within the New Deal contract for junior doctors.
What if I am unsure about my immigration status / right to work in the UK?
You should initially inform your manager and the HR department so that they are aware of the situation. You should consult the home office website for any initial guidance which is and the HR department will support you with this. It may be that if you cannot evidence the right to work in the UK that you will be removed from duties until this can be arranged.
What if I don’t have a national insurance number?
You should contact the job centre plus on 08456000643 and they will send you a form to complete and return.
What if I want to join the NHS pension scheme?
There is new auto enrolment legislation in place which means that you will be automatically enrolled into the NHS pension scheme if you meet the earning criteria (you will almost certainly meet the earning criteria as a doctor in training). If you want to opt out of the scheme you must complete a form which is available on the SPPA website. Other useful information about the scheme is available on the SPPA website which is
What if I reside in the accommodation temporarily and travel home at weekends, can I be reimbursed for this?
From Aug 2010 NHS D&G have implemented a local policy in accordance with CEL 2010/8 which allows some reimbursement for travel home where you have a permanent residence elsewhere and have moved to NHS D&G on a temporary basis. The policy is available on the HR section of the intranet.
If you are a FY2 based at GP practice separate arrangements are available which are detailed in appendix 3 of the policy.
What if my GMC membership expires during my employment with NHS D&G?
You should immediately inform your line manager and contact the HR department so that immediate arrangements can be made. It may be that you will be removed from duties until this can be arranged. It is a condition of employment that you maintain membership with the GMC.
What if I don’t understand my payslip?
You should contact the payroll department in the first instance regarding the content of the payslip.
What if I don’t understand my contract of employment?
You should contact the HR department if you have any questions regarding your contract of employment. The contract you have been issued is a standard contract agreed nationally, in partnership with BMA colleagues.
What if my contract is not for the correct duration?
It may be that you have been informed informally that you will be with NHS D&G for 12 months however, your contract of employment may be for 6 months or 4 months only. The reason for this is that the formal allocation from NES will state that the placement is for that shorter duration. We cannot issue a contract or any longer than the formal allocation from NES confirms.
What if my partner / child becomes ill and I need to take time off work?
If a dependant is ill then it may be appropriate the request Carer’s leave from your line manager. Carer’s leave is short term only. Example would be the unforeseen and immediate breakdown of normal care arrangements. A line manager may authorise paid leave of up to 6 days maximum over a rolling 12 month period.
It is not appropriate in these circumstances to take sick leave. Where carer’s leave is not appropriate then you should request annual leave or time in lieu which is owed.
What if I wanted to undertake some additional shifts as an internal locum?
You will have been sent an application form to join the NHS D&G Medical Locum Bank as part of your pre employment pack which was sent with your offer letter. If you complete this application form and return it to medical staffing, we will add you to our register and you will be contacted with any appropriate shifts for your grade and experience.
What relocation am I entitled to ?
If you are one of the following trainees you are entitled to claim up to £1000 pro rata relocation reimbursement:
FY1, FY2, ST, CT, Rural Fellow, DFT
If you are a GPST trainee you are entitled to claim up to £10,560 relocation reimbursement while employed at Dumfries & Galloway Royal Infirmary, in accordance with the Board’s relocation policy.
If you are a GPST trainee and you want to claim for reimbursement when you are working in General Practice you should contact NES (the employer) to find out what there reimbursement policy is.
What are the internal locum rates?
Please see the NHS Circular PCS(DD)2016/1 which is included as a link on the Induction Information webpage.
What are the banding supplements?
These are detailed in full in PCS2016(DD)01add:
1A / 50% basic salary1B / 40% basic salary
1C / 20% basic salary
What travel reimbursement am I entitled to?
Where you are required to travel as a result of your work i.e. to another hospital for a clinic for example you are entitled to use a pool car for this which should be requested by the general management office. Otherwise you are entitled to have the mileage costs reimbursed in accordance with the current rates included in PCS (DD) 2008/5. The actual rate depends on size of car etc. Claim forms are available from general management offices and should be authorised there also.
What if I need to confirm my employment ?
Where you need a letter confirming your employment you should contact the HR Department stating what you need the letter to confirm i.e. contract, salary, address etc.
What if I change my address?
If you change your correspondence address you should contact the HR Department and let them know your new address so that we can amend your records.
What if a finish a long shift and am too tired to drive home (as I do not stay in the residences)?
You should not undertake to drive any long journey if you are tired having just finished a long shift (or long stretch of shifts). You should rest in the doctor’s mess or contact the Residences Officer to see if temporary accommodation can be arranged for you to rest until you are able to drive safely. If this becomes a regular requirement Occupational Health advice would be sought to ensure that you are adequately supported to fulfill your role safely.
Updated on 9.7.15for August 2015 intake by Medical Staffing Team.
This should be taken as the final version and all previous copies should be destroyed.