Is St George's Hospital Salary Bill Set To Rise ?

To swipe or not to swipe ? That was one of the more interesting issues that was not discussed at the St George’s Trust Board on 31 March. I say not discussed because as always the Trust Board was in unanimous agreement with the proposition.
Treated to a glossy power point presentation, the Board members were shown the wonderful advantages that could be in store if only a new swipe card system was introduced. This would show which staff were on duty, where, what time they started, what time they finished, were shift patterns up to speed, etc , etc . It all sounded very good. Everyone was assured that the St George’s staff couldn’t wait to get their hands on a brand new, hopefully uninfected, swipe card. There was just one fly in the ointment. None of the staff organisations favoured the scheme. This wasn’t just a handful of militants, but organisation as far ranging as, the BMA, the RCN, the Royal College of Midwives, the Society of Radiographers, the Chartered Society of Physiotherapy, and Unison and Unite - a pretty formidable array of professional organisations. Not only did they oppose the scheme but they had produced a scholarly point by point repost in a paper that ought to receive an award for its incisiveness and academic breadth.
None of this of course had any effect on the board. Their only point of concern was that the consultants hadn’t signed up to this glorified clocking on and clocking off procedure. One wonders why consultants, who usually know a good thing when they see it, weren’t champing at the bit to get on board. So, despite overwhelming opposition from staff, the scheme went through on the nod, or should I say the bleat. During the very limited time allocated for questions at the end the meeting, the Board were asked how the introduction of such a scheme would affect St George’s salary bill.
The questioner asked -given that three quarters of St George’s staff in the latest staff survey said that they worked more than their contracted hours-what affect would this have on the wages bill ?
Everyone who has any dealings with the NHS knows that staff work over and above their contracted hours. Without their dedication the service would collapse.
If a swipe card system was introduced did this mean that staff would be paid for hours worked , rather than for contracted hours ?
There was a stunned silence from the Board and then a hastily cobbled together answer to the effect that, ’the new system will show up just who is working more than their contractual hours and they will be given extra help’
Believe that, and you’ll believe anything.
In either event it will mean more pay for the present staff, or a big increase in staff numbers.
If the Trust Board want to introduce swipe cards, they better have the money put aside to foot the massive increase in the wages bill