Glasgow bank nurses told to give at least 12 hours' notice if too sick to work

Bank nurses have been told they must give their organisation at least 12 hours' notice if they cannot turn up for a shift.

NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde introduced the measures to avoid late cancellations, but the RCN is branding the policy unfair, claiming it will damage bank nurses' morale. 

A health board spokesperson said all bank nurses must inform the health board if they need to cancel a shift to allow for a replacement to be found, and at least 12 hours' notice must be given.

RCN Scotland board member and chair of the college's Greater Glasgow branch Garry Campbell said bank nurses are becoming burned out.

He said: ‘The health board does have a high level of sickness absence and is trying to address this. However, rather than pursue a policy that could affect patient care, with nurses going into work when they are not well enough to do so, the health board should be looking at the reasons behind the high sickness absence rates.

‘This policy will undoubtedly have an effect on morale, which again influences sickness rates, so not only is it completely unfair, it’s counter-productive.'

Bank nurse Katie Dunkley, who works shifts as a school nurse and for an emergency department in England, said: ‘Bank nurses are so valuable to the organisations I work for, those organisations want to retain loyalty and good, experienced nurses. I cannot imagine them ever giving us a timeframe like this to cancel our shifts. My child might be unwell one morning and I obviously have no choice but to phone at the last minute.

'I sometimes work 30 to 37 hours a week. It is good to keep us on side. We don’t get sick pay and would not phone in to cancel unless it was absolutely necessary.’