Yes, we used to get those "I'm just ringing to inform you" calls too!
Complete waste of time, so we put a stop to them.
But I'm surprised you get any rate at all for bank holidays. Aren't these
part of every consultant's contract, in the same way weekend cover is?
(Except you can take a day in lieu obviously.)
Adrian
----- Original Message -----
From: "McCormick Simon Dr, Consultant, A&E" <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Monday, May 08, 2006 12:09 AM
Subject: Re: remuneration for queue bashing
Mark,
We also have an escalation policy which only involves calling the
Consultants when the department is clinically unsafe. What does that mean?
Well, its pretty much at the nurse in charge's discretion, but they're
pretty good and we rarely get called for this. Over the last year they were
forced to call us when there were impeding breaches (or is it breeches,
can't remember what spelling we decided on!!) so we would get a call to say
the department is busy, no one is unsafe, and we don't expect you to come
in!!?? We had finally put this to bed and stopped these pointless calls
until we failed the target for two quarters in a row and the managers are
pressurising again. They have offered us ~ £85 an hour if we come in to
queue bust but we have said no. Given they did pay us the surgeons
'incentive rate' (about £200 an hour) to work fixed shifts on the winter
Bank Holidays that's quite a difference!
I've actually just been in for 4-5 hours tonight clearing a wait because I
knew it would be chaos overnight otherwise but the nurse in charge who had
informed me about the wait confirmed there was no one 'sick' waiting (and
she was right). I will be claiming these hours as extra work, I don't feel
our on-call PA is for this type of thing, and though I am due at work at 9am
this morning I will be taking compensatory rest and not starting until about
11am.
Simon McCormick
Rotherham
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