£145 Million NHS Winter Pressure Funding & A&E Nurses

The government has announced it is allocating an additional £ 145 million pounds to inject into the NHS some of which will be allocated to the struggling Accident and Emergency departments across the UK. A portion of the money will be used to upgrade A & E departments, A&E nurses as well as providing an additional 900 beds.

It has been reported the University Hospital of North Midlands will receive £8.8 million which will go towards two new wards. East Kent Hospital University NHS Foundation Trust will get £6.4 million to increase the A&E capacity at the William Harvey and Queen Elizabeth hospitals and the Queen Mother Hospitals. Lancashire Teaching Hospitals will receive money to upgrade emergency day care and redesign the ambulance handover.

Matt Hancock the minister for health has stated “Staff put in a huge amount of work preparing our health service for the challenge of treating more patients over winter and it’s right that we make sure they have the resources they need so people receive the care they deserve. That’s why I will be providing an additional £145m now to upgrade wards, redevelop A&Es and further improve emergency care in time for winter.”

Niall Dickson, chief executive of the NHS Confederation, said the funding would “make a difference” and was an “acknowledgement of the intolerable strain faced by too many patients and staff last winter”.

Nursing Personnel Predict a Very Challenging Winter

Nursing Personnel are predicting this winter is going to be the most challenging on record and the most demanding for hospitals and A&E nurses. One of the main factors is the shortage of nurses available across the UK. Mr Richard Drax South Dorset MP stated in the commons recently “ England is facing a desperate shortage of nurses” He has stated the RCN has calculated there are 40,000 vacancies for nurses across the UK. He has also stated “At the same time, he said, nurses were leaving the profession due to “relentless pressures” and feeling that their “professional registrations were at risk because they were struggling to cope with demand”.

Nursing Agencies Support Role

Nursing agencies will also play an important part in assisting and supporting the NHS through these difficult months. Nursing agencies supply NHS hospitals with nurses across all specialities including A&E nurses. Other factors that have made it challenging include the recent price caps brought in by NHSI reducing the amount agencies can pay agency nurses. This is also coupled with IR35 rules restricting contractors working through their personal service companies. In many cases nurses often have to travel long distances to cover shifts at short notice and pay for accommodation. Where a nurse is deemed inside IR35 they can no longer claim these expenses travel and accommodation expenses making it not worth their while travelling to cover the shift.

£1,000 Nursing Agency Registration Bonus

To assist the NHS through these challenging times Nursing Personnel are recruiting nurses nationwide. As an incentive to work through Nursing Personnel we are offering nurses a £ 1,000 (terms apply) registration bonus to work with Nursing Personnel. Nursing Personnel are a NHS approved NHS framework agency and are working with many Trusts across the UK to bring down the cost of expensive off framework agencies.

For more information call us on 033 3043 6779 or to register click here.

 RCN Head Resigns Over Pay Deal
The head of the RCN resigned this week amid the wrong information been given to thousands of nurses on a new nurse pay deal. Last month Janet Davies apologised for informing members they would receive an immediate 3% pay uplift this summer. The actual position is only 50% would receive an increase the rest would have to wait until completion of an annual appraisal.

Many nurses took to social media to express their frustration and having been given wrong information. One nurse was quoted “This nurse pay deal will solve all our problems!!, I am completely underwhelmed at receiving my 35 pence increase. I will try not to spend it all at once!!” Ms Davies will now step down from her post at the end of August. The RCN is carrying out a full enquiry to the events.

The RCNs official statement is “The RCN and Janet Davies have decided to part ways by mutual agreement,” said Maria Trewern, chairwoman of the RCN council. “We thank her for all her service to the college as chief executive and general secretary over the past three years, and wish her well.”

Ms Davis said ““It has been a great honour to represent my profession at the highest level, and I am proud of the achievements the college has made over the past three years against a difficult political backdrop. I wish my colleagues and our membership all the best for the future, and look forward to taking on some new challenges.“

Not All Bad Financial News For Nurse Pay- £1000 Bonus

However it’s not all bad news for nurses on the financial side of things. While substantive nurses are disappointed over the nurse pay deal Nursing Personnel are happy to announce our £1,000 registration bonus (terms apply) for nurses registering and working through our nursing agency. With over 33,000 vacant nursing jobs in the NHS across the UK, Nursing Personnel are expecting this winter to see some of the highest  demand for agency nurses on record. With demand increasing for agency nurses Nursing Personnel are recruiting all across the UK. To make our agency as attractive as possible we are offering the £ 1000 bonus (subject to conditions). With excess of a thousand agency nurse jobs daily on offer from hospitals all across the UK Nursing Personnel can almost guarantee work for Nurses looking for agency work.

Agency Nurses Work With Nursing Personnel

Nursing Personnel are an approved NHS framework nursing agency and are working with NHS Trusts across the UK. We can offer very competitive pay rates and block bookings in many geographical locations. To see the locations we cover click here.

For more information on our £1000 registration bonus ( terms apply) click here or call us on 033 3043 6779.

£1000 Nursing Agency  & Agency Nurse Registration Bonus

Terms and Conditions Apply

Nursing Personnel Nursing Agency

Nursing Personnel Nursing Agency are upping the game in the run up to winter pressures to recruit agency nurses. We are expecting this winter to be one of the busiest for our sector. Such is the demand for nurses we are offering a £1000 (terms apply) registration bonus to attract agency nurse to work for Nursing Personnel.

Below is just a snap shot of the headlines being reported in the media including the Nursing Times the BBC and The Guardian over the last few weeks. It has also been reported the NHS has over 33,000 unfilled nursing posts across the UK:

NHS in England facing deepening staffing crisis, figures show

The Guardian-26 Jul 2018

Call for action on social care nurse shortages as population ages

Nursing Times-13 Aug 2018

New nursing student numbers fall for second year running after end of …

Nursing Times– 17Aug 2018

Nurse shortages close Aberdeen dementia wards

BBC News – 5 Aug 2018

NHS increasingly desperate for nurses and midwives as applications …

Telegraph.co.uk– 27 Jul 2018

Shortage of nurses leads to moving beds from ward

The Wiltshire Gazette and Herald-9 Aug 2018

500 sick children forced to travel after services cut in staff crisis

Express.co.uk– 8 Aug 2018

New Nursing Agency Contracts

Nursing Personnel Nursing Agency are winning new contracts weekly to supply NHS Trusts across the UK. With preferred supplier status on many contracts demand for nurses has never been higher. With the colder months just weeks away we are expecting demand for agency nurses to break records this winter. However there is no point in having NHS agency nurse contracts if we cannot supply.

Often nursing agencies are criticised for ripping off hospitals with exorbitant fees. However Nursing Personnel are working with many Trusts across the UK to reduce agency cost by removing high cost nursing agencies.

The last year has been a difficult and challenging one for all agency nurses. With NHSI price caps and IR35 challenges agency nurses have been on the receiving end of restrictions and government reforms. However agency nurses are still expected to travel often long distances to cover urgent staffing shortages often spending time away from families and loved ones.

As an incentive to recruit and attract agency nurses Nursing Personnel are offering a £1,000 bonus to nurses that are willing to work with our agency. With thousands of hospital requirements being received daily Nursing Personnel can offer agency jobs for nurses in most geographical locations across the UK. We have some of the most competitive rates in the market. With preferred supplier status we can also offer block bookings and in some cases assistance with accommodation.

Register for Agency Nurse Bonus

For more information on the above feel free to call our offices on 033 3043 6779 or to register click here.

A&E Agency Nurses Under Pressure

Nursing Personnel has seen the demand for A&E agency nurses increase substantially.

The recent heat wave has seen a huge surge in the number of patients attending the A&E department in NHS hospitals across the UK. Recent reports have highlighted that a total number of 2,176,022 people attended the A&E departments in July, which is the highest number since records began.

The massive surge in patients attending also had a negative impact on patient waiting times. In July only 89.3% of patients were seen within four hours. The NHS target is all patients are to be seen within 4 hours. This target has not been met since July 2015.

To put this into context there were 41,553 instances of delays of four hours or more. This is up on 4,000 for the same period last year. There were also 147 instances where patients had to wait more than 12 hours to be seen in July. One Trust reported in early August an average of 435 patients attending per day. This was up 11% on the previous year.

Many issues were a direct result of the heat. Other factors included dehydration (from not drinking enough water), heat stroke, exhaustion, and breathing problems. Kings Hospital in London reported that at 10.00 pm on the 31^st of July there was a queue of ambulances outside the accident and emergency. This would normally be seen in the middle of February as a result of winter pressures. Paramedics in some instances set up drips and looked after patients on trolleys in the corridors of one of London’s busiest hospitals. In the midlands and the north of the UK they also experienced a huge increase in patients attending the A&E departments. GP surgeries also reported record levels of patients attending surgeries as a result of the very hot weather.

A&E Agency Nurse Demand Surges

Nursing Personnel can also confirm we have seen a huge increase in demand for agency nurses in the A&E departments across the UK for July and August. This is consistent with hospitals being under huge pressure to staff A&E wards with nurses as a result of the increase in patients attending the A&E departments.

With over 33,000 unfilled nursing jobs across the UK, it is inevitable that many of the vacant nurse jobs will be in the A&E departments. Nursing Personnel are actively recruiting agency nurses to help cover the demand for NHS agency A&E nurse jobs. Nursing Personnel are receiving hundreds of requirements daily across the UK for A&E nurse jobs. Such is the pressure and demand some hospitals are offering exceptional agency nurse pay rates as the hospitals have to have appropriate staffing levels to meet patient care standards and patient safety. To attract nurses to our nursing agency Nursing Personnel are offering a registration bonus of £500 for a limited time only. For more information on our agency nurse bonus click here including full terms and conditions.

Agency Nurses Contact Us

If you are an agency nurse looking for agency nurse jobs in A&E please contact us as we have an abundance of work across the UK. For more information please call us on 033 3043 6779 or to register click here.

One of the first comments Matt Hancock made as new minister for health is that more NHS Apps were on the way.  He stated : “”The NHS needs to be more convenient for you, but also to help clinicians so that doctors’ and nurses’ lives are easier.” A new NHS App prototype has just been announced.

The New NHS APPs

It has been announced this week that the NHS are working on a new App. The idea behind the new NHS Apps is to make life easier for patients to do a variety of everyday things. These include:

• Access to your medical records
• GP appointment booking
• Repeat prescription ordering
• Changing organ donation preferences
• Changing data sharing preferences
• Skype your GP instead of going to the surgery

Other functionality available includes end of life preferences, where you would like to be cared for, and your religious beliefs so these can be taken into account after death.

The NHS is referring to this as an “ advances statement “ , this may also include whether you wish to refuse treatment in certain circumstances and power of attorney.

At moment the plan is this information will go to your GP and not the NHS database, so one does have to wonder what the next stage will be.

The real challenge is how all this information is going to be pooled together to provide useful and meaningful information to the NHS to streamline processes, enhance decision making and having reliable and usable information to hand that changes the way the NHS operates.

The other challenge will be how NHS Digital will get all the NHS systems to talk/integrate with each other.  Another challenge will be the user experience. How much information will the user have to be input and how long will it take? Will the app be user friendly and easy to navigate?

When will we see the new NHS Apps?

It is expected that testing will start with a selected number of GP practices before the end of the year, starting with 2000 patients and ten GP practices. Areas with high Wi-Fi and strong internet will be targeted for the testing. It is reported that the general public may see a scaled down version of the App by early next year.

A year after a full roll out of the new NHS Apps, it is estimated that there will be 16 million users registered for online GP services, 3 million GP appointments being booked and 7 million prescriptions being ordered through the new app.

Nursing Personnel Nurse Agency App

Nursing Personnel nursing agency have a free App available to all registered agency workers. The App allows you to view your compliance information that the agency holds on you. This is the information the NHS frameworks audit, so you see what the agency sees. By having this information available easily you can ensure your file is 100% up to date and can view anything this that is going to expire like a DBS check or mandatory training. By ensuring file is kept up to date means you will always be able to work and accept an agency nurse shift when you want to work.

The App will also let you update your availability, request shifts, you can view all available shifts on Nursing Personnel database, giving you choice of what agency nurse jobs you want to choose.

Agency nurses can search the hundreds of nursing agency jobs we have available by post code, so you can view the nurse jobs closest to your home.

The app lets you control the way you wish to work. The app is available free for apple and android phones. To view the app download it free from the App store or Android app store.

For more information on Nursing Personnel nursing agency click here or call us on 033 3043 6779.

£500 Agency Nurse Bonus

Nursing Personnel are now offering for a limited time a £500 bonus to any agency nurse that register and work with Nursing Personnel nursing agency. The bonus is payable after completion of 200 hundred hours of work.

Such is the demand for nurses across the UK Nursing Personnel are receiving hundreds for requests from NHS hospitals daily.

With a nationwide shortage of nurses and recently reported there are over 33.000 unfilled nursing posts across the UK, Nursing Personnel are offering the bonus to attract and encourage nurses to work with Nursing Personnel nursing agency.

Nursing Agency Demand

Nursing Personnel are seeing an increase in demand for nurses across the UK. Currently we are in the summer period which normally sees a reduction in demand due better weather conditions and less pressure on NHS hospitals.

Last winter saw some of the longest waiting periods in hospitals for patients and some of this was down to nursing staff shortages. Nursing Personnel are expecting this winter to be just as challenging for hospitals across the UK.

Nursing Agency Winter Pressure

With just over 8 weeks left before that start of winter pressures in NHS hospitals Nursing Personnel are recruiting nurses for agency nurses jobs across the UK. We are anticipating an even higher demand from NHS hospitals requesting agency nurses to help staff hospital wards. During the busy periods Nursing Personnel can receive over a thousand NHS requirements daily. As a result we can almost guarantee work and have requirements coming from hospitals all across the UK.

The £500 bonus we are hoping will help attract nurses to Nursing Personnel’s nursing agency as want to be rewarding nurses for working with us.

On top of the bonus we can offer exceptional pay rates with block bookings available. Assistance with accommodation can also be provided.

For more information on our £ 500 nurse bonus including the terms and conditions please click here.

Nursing Personnel nursing agency are an approved NHS framework nursing agency and receive requirements from NHS hospitals before any non -framework agency. If you are an agency nurse looking part time or full time nursing agency work please contact us on 033 3043 6779 or register on line by clicking here.

£90 Million NHS Bill for Compensation

The BBC has reported that the NHS is Wales is paying huge sums in compensation dues to clinical negligence.The figures reported state that there were 643 claims from 2013 to 2014. The NHS bill paid was £60 million. However the NHS bill figure increased to 792 payments made totalling a staggering £ 91 million for the period 2017-2018.

Angela Burns Tory health spokesperson has called for a Welsh government inquiry.

The above payments will be funded by the taxpayer.  The Welsh Government has been asked to report on the above.

33,000 Empty Nurse Posts

One has to question how much of the compensation /NHS bill is due to the nursing and doctor shortages being widely reported across the media and by the RCN. In a recent report it was reported that there are over 33,000 vacant nursing jobs across the UK. With only a limited pool of agency nurses available to cover short term NHS nursing agency jobs, it is obvious that many hospitals must be very short staffed. The above sums paid out would go a long way in funding front line nursing and medical staff.

Hundreds of Agency Nurse Jobs Daily

Nursing Personnel receive hundreds of NHS agency nurse jobs daily. We are constantly recruiting nurses to cover agency shifts all across the UK. Nursing Personnel are also an approved NHS Framework agency meaning we receive requirements before any non- framework agency. We work with many hospitals to assist in covering short term and long term nursing vacancies.

Nursing Personnel have an abundance of agency work all across the UK. We receive thousands of jobs daily and can offer some of the most competitive rates in the market. If you are a nurse looking for agency nurse jobs anywhere in the UK please feel free to contact us on 033 3043 6779 or to register online click here.

HMRC are actively chasing contractors for tax on untaxed income. Some umbrella companies are offering nurses umbrella company loan schemes to increase take home pay.

Umbrella Company Loan Schemes Don’t Work

Some umbrella companies are paying contractors the minimum in salary and taxing this income as normal. However after the minimum payment is made to the contractor the umbrella company then is offering an interest free loan to the contractor to make up the rest of their salary.

An example: A contractor earns £ 1000 per week.

£200 is paid as normal and taxed as normal.

However the balance of £800 is then given to the contractor as an interest free loan, with no loan repayment contract or interest charged.

As a result the contractor is receiving £ 800 tax free. The umbrella company is charging a hefty fee for the arrangement.

HMRC have said on numerous occasions that these schemes don’t work and are clearly tax avoidance. Now HMRC are chasing contractors for the outstanding tax that was not paid on the disguised loan payments as they are deeming these payments as taxable. The latest spotlight statement issued by HMRC is available by clicking here

Agency Nurses Being Chased By HMRC

Thousands of contractors across the UK including doctors and nurses are receiving letters from the taxman with demand notices for thousands of pounds in unpaid tax. This has also been highlighted in the national press.

Any contractors that have been paid by umbrella company loan schemes are being advised to contact HMRC and notify them of the details. HMRC have stated that the tax on such schemes must be repaid by the 05^th of April 2019.

Nursing Personnel would advise any nurse NOT to engage in umbrella company loan schemes and if you’re are concerned about any of the above please contact us or contact your professional adviser.

With NHS price caps and the new IR35 rules nurses and healthcare workers are looking at all options to increase their take home pay. However HMRC have stated that untaxed loan schemes ( umbrella company loan schemes ) and off shore tax structures used to avoid tax will be chased by HMRC. This has been reported in the Daily Mail (click) here and The Telegraph(click) news papers and some workers are facing bankruptcy and this is now affecting their mental health. This is not deterring HMRC from aggressively chasing unpaid tax and NI. Loan schemes have also been highlighted on the BBC and Money box. To hear and see the report how HMRC are chasing tax on loans click here. Nursing Personnel would advise nurses and healthcare workers to avoid these schemes at all cost as this will end up costing workers a lot of hardship and pain once HMRC catch up with you. Oddly HMRC seem to be chasing the workers rather than the sellers and promoters of these schemes.

Agency Nurse Jobs

Nursing Personnel nurse agency have an abundance of nurse jobs across the UK in all nursing specialities. We can offer competitive pay rates in all locations.

Should any nurse require more information on any of the above please feel free to contact us or visit our web site by clicking here

Many media sources including Sky News and the Independent are highlighting concern’s raised over the public sector pay cap. This has been well publicised including a substantial nurse pay rate rises being awarded to NHS workers. The public sector pay cap was put in place by the conservative party in 2010 for wages above £21,000.

This month substantive NHS nurses should receive a pay increase the first in almost 8 years.

Nurse Pay Rate Increases Questioned

Labour however are calling the Public Sector pay increases:

“ Nothing more than a PR stunt by the government”.  In real terms junior doctors and medics will get an increase of 2%, however if you take into account of inflation over the past 8 years, a 2% increase for medical staff would actually end up being a pay cut or decrease in salary.

Peter Dowd, shadow chief secretary to the Treasury said:

“Real wages in the public sector are lower today than they were in 2010”

Many nurses have taken to social media to express their disappointment at receiving a 35 pence nurse pay rate increase. One nurse was quoted saying “This pay deal will solve all our problems!!, I am completely underwhelmed at receiving my 35 pence increase. I will try not to spend it all at once!!”

RCN Questions Nurses Pay Deal

Questions are now being asked if this was the best pay deal possible. The Royal College of Nursing has stated the deal was very confusing and only a quarter of their members actually voted for the pay deal. Yesterday the RCN issued an apology, Janet Davies Chief Executive stated:

“Nurses will receive a 3% nurse pay increase and this would be backdated to April”. This statement has now been highlighted as incorrect.

The GMB recommended rejecting the pay deal and are now holding a consultation ballot on industrial action.

Nursing Personnel can offer agency nurses exceptional pay rates in numerous locations across the UK. We are seeing increase pay rates available due to nurse shortages and an increase in nursing agency demand.

As an approved NHS nursing agency Nursing Personnel have hundreds of available nurse jobs across the UK. To view all the available agency nurse jobs click here.

To find out more about our high pay rates please call our office on 033 3043 6779.

Matt Hancock is not wasting any time as the new minister for health promising £ 400 million for the NHS.

£400 Million NHS Investment

Less than a few weeks in his new role he is promising an investment of £400 million pounds in technology for the NHS. The objective of the investment is to improve staff workloads and patient care.

It is envisaged that with this investment in technology it will transform existing electronic systems and remove paper based systems making the NHS more efficient and furthermore reducing medical errors.

Mr Hancock has stated “From today, let this be clear: tech transformation is coming. The opportunities of new technology, done right across the whole of health and social care, are vast. Let’s work together to seize them.”

It will be interesting to see how MR Hancock deals with some of the broader issues including hospital waiting lists that are at a record high and the unprecedented number of patients left on trollies during the winter pressure months and no real solution on the horizon.

However some of Mr Hancock’s comments are promising as he has stated:

“I am determined that the commitment you show to your patients is matched by the commitment we show to you,” he told staff.

“In both health and social care I want your voice to be at the heart of government,” he said. “To make this happen I’m going to launch a consultation exercise on workforce issues. And I’ll be setting up a panel of clinical and professional advisers from a cross-section of the NHS and social care workforce.”

The investment in technology we are sure will be welcomed. However Nursing Personnel are seeing an increase in hospital temporary staffing requirements across the UK with no sign of this decreasing. As an approved NHS framework nursing agency we see first-hand the agency nurse jobs being released from NHS hospitals to be filled at short notice.

The consultation on workforce issue will be interesting however, The Independent reported in February this year

Thirty Thousand Nurse Jobs Vacant

“Quarterly data released by regulator NHS Improvement today, for the year to December, shows the 234 NHS trusts in England “employ 1.1 million whole-time-equivalent staff but that they have 100,000 vacancies”.

One third of the above vaccines, that being 33,300 are for nursing, and the number of unfilled positions is at a record high.

Nursing Personnel wish Mr Hancock the best of luck in his new role, but he definitely has his work cut out.

Nursing Personnel have an abundance of nursing agency jobs across the UK paying some of the most competitive rates available in NHS hospitals.

For more information visit click here or call us on 033 3043 6779