Please find attached Interim National Arrangements for Adverse Weather. This has been designed to ensure that in periods of adverse weather NHS Scotland adopts an approach that is consistent at a national level, ensuring that fair and equitable treatment is prioritised and that we remain able to effectively deliver essential services. The guidance has been developed in partnership with NHS Scotland through consultation between Scottish Government Officials, NHS Scotland employers and Trade Unions.
Please contact the HR Support and Advice Unit if you wish clarification on the application of this policy.
Business Travel
NHSGGC is committed to reducing the financial and environmental impact arising from its business travel. Where possible, the aim of this policy is to encourage employees to reduce unnecessary travel and encourage the use of more sustainable forms of transport. However, the Board recognises that sometimes there is no alternative to using a car for business travel and this policy is not intended to impede business travel where it is required nor to restrict car use where it is the most appropriate mode of transport for business purposes. Neither is this policy intended to be applied to the detriment of those employees with restricted mobility. This policy applies to all staff employed by NHSGGC.
Top Tips on using the Business Travel Policy…….
Before undertaking any journey, staff should consider the Business Travel Hierarchy.
Reflect on the need to travel for business purposes.
Walking and cycling are healthy, sustainable and very low cost travel options. Staff should be encouraged to consider alternative travel options if their role can facilitate this approach.
Bus, train and SPT subway travel provide an alternative to car-based business travel for short, medium and long distances.
Many car trips could be avoided if staff coordinated travel plans and shared cars, for example, when attending the same meeting. An additional mileage rate for each passenger is paid.
Please contact the HR Support and Advice Unit if you wish clarification on the use or application of this policy.
Car Parking
Car Parking on Hospital Sites
This policy outlines the arrangements for car parking on hospital sites. These arrangements are designed to balance the needs of staff, patients and visitors and ensure car parks continue to be fairly and effectively managed.
The policy details arrangements for visitor and patient parking, staff with parking permits and other staff parking.
iMatter is the NHS Scotland Staff Experience continuous improvement tool, developed nationally, and used within all NHSScotland Boards.
iMatter is designed to help individuals, teams, Directorates, Health and Social Care Partnerships (HSCPs) and Boards, understand and improve staff experience. This is a term used to describe the extent to which employees feel motivated, supported and cared for at work. It is reflected in levels of engagement, motivation and productivity.
The process is based on a staff engagement questionnaire which all staff are asked to respond to, which generates a Team Report. The team discusses the report and agrees the team strength along with up to 3 improvement actions. This improvement plan is captured on a team ‘Storyboard’ which the team then uses to monitor progress. The process is then completed annually.
For any questions, support or guidance regarding iMatter, or if you would like to share any iMatter success stories, please contact the iMatter mailbox at imatter@ggc.scot.nhs.uk
NHSGGC is committed to providing New Deal compliant and educationally sound working pattern for all resident doctors on training rotas. Therefore, a robust monitoring arrangement was put in place to ensure that rota templates are compliant, and to highlight issues that may lead to non-compliance. The purpose of monitoring is to ensure that the rota working pattern that has been approved by the department, compliance teams, NHS Education for Scotland and the Scottish Government is fit for purpose; that the rota is suitable for the work you are doing.
Resident doctor rota monitoring will take place every 6 months, over a 2 week period. All training grade staff are expected to record hours of work and rest accurately by completing a set of electronic monitoring forms, and the opening page of the electronic system for monitoring has a validation statement you will electronically sign to this effect. All completed documentation is returned to your Monitoring Officer for analysis in accordance with New Deal and WTR regulations. Once rota monitoring for your template is complete, you will receive a copy of the results within the time limits laid out.
Guidance on completing the DRS online diary can be found here
Under no circumstances during resident doctor rota monitoring, should staff falsely inflate or decrease the record of hours or rest or be requested to do so. If you are put under any pressure to amend your monitoring information, please contact Medical Staffing.
Our rota templates must comply with two sets of regulations
New Deal: is a package of measures designed to improve the conditions under which doctors in training worked. It provides guidance on hours of work, living and working conditions for all doctors in training
Working Time Regulations (WTR): is a directive from the Council of Europe enshrined in UK law in 1998, to protect the Health and Safety of workers by setting minimum requirements for working hours, rest periods and leave
NHSGGC are responsible for ensuring that resident medical staff can work in compliance with New Deal and WTR requirements. Non-compliance could result in financial penalty to the NHS board in which you are working, and a possible loss of training posts for that department
The 3 main types of working templates are detailed below:
Full Shift Rota (most resident doctors work on this pattern)
Work carried out is intensive and continuous throughout the 24-hour period.
Shifts do not exceed 14hours.
A minimum of 8 hours of rest between shifts is required.
Natural breaks are required (at least 30 minutes of continuous rest after 4 hours of continuous working).
On Call Rota
Work is considered to be low intensity, particularly during OOH.
Normal working pattern exists Monday-Friday for all trainees on the rota, and then an on-call person takes over to cover the remainder of each 24hour period.
Frequency of on call cover depends on the number of trainees on the rota.
Duty periods cannot exceed 32 hours on weekdays, or 56 hours at the weekend.
At least 12 hours of rest between duty periods is required.
Doctors are expected to spend half of their on call duty period undisturbed, of which a minimum of 5 hours is continuous rest between 10pm and 8am.
Partial Shift & 24hr Partial Shift Rota
Work is considered to be higher intensity than on call, but less so than shift working.
Duty periods do not exceed 16hours or 24hours depending.
Natural breaks are required during normal working hours, and at least ¼ of the out-of-hours duty period should be spent undisturbed.
There are no strict rules about the total hours worked in any week, but average weekly hours must be under 48 over a 26-week reference period (for full time working).
Doctors in training must follow a rota template which has been approved. The rota is agreed, prior to being put in place, by the department in which it will be implemented, the compliance team at the NHS board (for New Deal and WTR) and is reviewed by the Scottish Government. Changes in your working pattern (e.g. swapping a shift) could result in non-compliance (for example, insufficient rest period after a run of nightshifts). Therefore, any changes must be discussed in advance with the rota master to ensure that they will not lead to problems.
