NHS nurses fighting new shift plans in Sussex

11:00am Friday 14th September 2012 in News By Siobhan Ryan

NHS nurses fighting new shift plans in Sussex NHS nurses fighting new shift plans in Sussex

Hundreds of mental health nurses across Sussex are facing longer shifts and less pay as NHS bosses battle to save money.

Sussex Partnership NHS Foundation Trust is considering changing shift patterns which could mean some staff missing out on unsociable hours pay rates.

It could mean some workers, based in hospital inpatient and residential units around the county, potentially losing up to £500 a year.

W o r k e r s believe the change from a shift of around eight hours to one of around 12 could also impact on patient care and make childcare arrangements more difficult.

The changes, which could save up to £1.5 million a year, are part of wider moves by the trust to save more than £13 million this year while still maintaining and improving its frontline services. The trust runs mental health, substance misuse and learning disabilities services across the county.

Workers contacted The Argus to highlight their concerns. One said: “I have extremely complicated childcare arrangements. This shift system will make it impossible for me to work.”

Another said: “Inpatient mental health nursing can be very demanding, emotionally, and we are very concerned that we will be exhausted at the end of such a long shift.”

Nurses in general hospitals already work 12-hour shifts on a lot of wards but the mental health nurses say their circumstances are different.

One told The Argus: “You are not comparing like with like.

“In mental health nursing, you can have an acute incident at any time of the day or night.

“I am not convinced that I would be able to respond appropriately after, say, 10 hours.”

A Sussex P a r t n e r s h i p s p o k e s m a n said: “One of the options we are considering is the proposal to change the nursing shift pattern. Our nurses and all of our staff do a great job and we take their views seriously.”

He added: “No decision has yet been taken.”

A spokesman for Unison said: “We are about to commence discussions with the trust concerning the response that the unions made to the proposals.

Comments(11)

HJarrs says...
11:28am Fri 14 Sep 12

We should be campaigning for 8 hour shifts for nurses not using poor practice as a means of introducing 12 hour shifts for others. No wonder poor clinical decisions are made.

Still this is the Tory way for us little people. Longer hours, declining pay, poor pensions. I can't understand why any of you vote for them.

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bruce_ says...
11:29am Fri 14 Sep 12

Such a change in the shift pattern for mental health nurses would be an outrage. I trust their union will oppose it -- with the backing of the public, surely!

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Tailgaters Anonymous says...
11:54am Fri 14 Sep 12

Throw a few highly-paid senior managers on the pile and make savings there rather than on the front line. NHS care is perilous enough without stretching those at the sharp end needlessly!

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Jimmy Stewart's Imaginary Rabbit says...
12:03pm Fri 14 Sep 12

It's not just mental health nurses. My wife's a District Nurse and they're under more and more pressure as the positions get cut but the workload stays the same.

Ask the management though what their priority is and they'll reply "Not losing the contract!"

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getThisCoalitionOut says...
12:06pm Fri 14 Sep 12

This is utterly disgraceful - no way should they even suggest this the bar stewards. May I suggest the NHS Trust works 12 hour shifts instead - to cut down on the amount they are paid, if more of them work 12 hour shifts it would mean fewer staff - so you do it first and see how you like it - and at the same time - GET STUFFED WITH YOUR STUPID SUGGESTIONS.

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still waiting says...
3:21pm Fri 14 Sep 12

I'm not sure whether 12 hour shifts for mental health nurses are right or wrong, but there are of course lots of people in the emergency services, and nurses in A&E departments, who currently work 12 hour shifts and they too "can have an acute incident at any time of the day or night". If it means they get less in unsocial hours payments, then so be it. Such payments are for working unsocial hours, etc, etc. If it means they will take bad decisions because they're tired then they may have a point. The bottom line, I suppose, is money and having just those people on at any time that you think you,ll need, an issue with which many in the emergency services would understand.

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catchingbabies says...
4:11pm Fri 14 Sep 12

12 hour shifts are the normal pattern for many trusts in many areas of nursing and midwifery. I agree with the poster above, its not just mental health that have acute incidents.
I'm not sure that having unsocial payments for nights and weekends is fair either. Day shifts can be busier and far more stressful, and many people choose to work nights, to avoid such situations.
It would be far fairer to pay people equal rates but enhanced to the night and Sunday rate all round, not reduce it. But then again I also don't agree with staff, getting paid more year by year for just existing, not maintaining skills. Nor coming off the "shop floor" working office hrs mon-fri in dubious roles and getting paid a higher banding.

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ourcoalition says...
7:22pm Fri 14 Sep 12

Everybody up to London on 20th October to demonstrate against this disgraceful Government of the rich, for the rich.
And when we come back, lets make sure Brighton and Hove carries on the fight. There is only one way to stop them - like drugs, say "NO".

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rolivan says...
10:52pm Fri 14 Sep 12

It is impossible to have 12hr shifts unless they are staggered because of changeover and busier times getting patients dressed and undressed, meal times, Consultants and Staff meetings with patients.There shouldn't be a budget on Staffing if they are needed.The Budget Constraints need to be on the paper shufflers.

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random digits says...
10:17am Sun 16 Sep 12

Sussex partnership cannot manage it's budget, plain and simple. Yet another desperate money saving excersise by faceless and incompetent management, with total disregard for the welfare of patient care and the commitment of their hardworking NURSING staff. I wonder will these overpaid managers be doing 12 hour shifts ? Taking pay cuts ? Who knows, the only time they are ever seen on a ward is when they are brown nosing the CQC.

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wordswordswords says...
10:24pm Sun 16 Sep 12

Utterly disgraceful, and not only for the implications on nurses' lives. Patients at inpatient units are in an incredibly difficult position, and this can only have a negative result on their treatment. It's another gross betrayal of both public sector workers and some of the most vulnerable members of society.

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