Royal Cornwall Hospital clarifies 'outright ban' on overtime pay
NHS staff have been told by bosses that they're not going to have their overtime pay cut
NHS staff at Royal Cornwall Hospital have been told by bosses that they're not going to have their overtime pay cut.
It comes just weeks of reports of the plans to save costs came to light, following an internal email being sent to those who work at the hospital, citing a very difficult economic climate.
In the memo, it's reported that the dual chief people officer Alison Thorne-Henderson said the 1.5x rate would no longer be standard practice for overtime - and instead staff would get the normal rate of pay, or time off in lieu.
Now, though, the Trust say there never was an outright overtime ban, with those between bands 1 to 7 working more than their contracted 37.5 hours having the 'right' to be paid time and a half.
A Royal Cornwall Hospitals spokesperson said: “We had never imposed an outright ban on overtime and were clear in our communications there would always be exceptions. We have clarified this further in our message to staff today.
“Our hospitals face their biggest ever cost improvement plan over the next 12 months, as well as meeting the Government’s requirement to make at least a 50% reduction in the growth in spend on corporate support services.”
“Reducing our use of premium rate pay including agency and overtime will help to protect jobs for our substantive staff; that has to be our priority.”
The union Unison's Acute Health Branch in Cornwall said in response: "This shows what's possible when we stick together.
"Well done everyone who came to the meetings, took part in the survey and who emailed the chief exec, and even just for being members - the more members we have the stronger our voice.
"The union is its members, don't think what is the union doing, think what are WE doing.
"Without you standing up and making a fuss nothing will change."