We have 2 temp posts (through staff bank) 37.5 hours band 5, here at Musgrove Park Hospital, Taunton. If you are interested please see link:

https://www.jobs.nhs.uk/cgi-bin/vacdetai...5016.1282674650

Looks like a job for Bankers, then, Young Paul.

Myself, I guess I'd only be interested if I could spend my eight weeks up at Minehead.

The Staff Bank idea is an interesting one, though. As we all know it is used extensively with nursing staff. But with biomeds? I know that Gloucester was planning to have a go with it ... but I'm not sure how they got on.

Has anyone else had any success with this method? Does it bypass the Agents (as I believe it does)?

If the Bank Technician idea caught on, it might present an alternative method of earning a crust for (NHS) blokes who don't mind moving about the country. Interesting.

Be sure to let us all know how you get on, Paul.

For what it's worth, I passed on this thread to one of the well-known agents active in placing biomed techs.

Here (edited slightly, to protect the innocent, as it were) is the response:-


I should add that my own (limited) enquiries into the possibility of working as a "Bank Technician" tended to support what our Friendly Agent is saying.

It will be interesting to see what comes out of the woodwork.
Our dept, like many, have a few people due for retirement in the coming few years.
We may be in a position to take on a trainee, but we may also need some poeple who can hit the ground running.
It's worth a punt .. don't you think?

Cheers
Mark

Don't bank on it as the Government will be moving the retirement age to 72, they could ask students to stay in school until they are 30 that would cut the unemployment rate down.

It's always worth a punt, if you're in need of fertile young minds, Mark (as I believe you may be).

Then, once you've found the guy, and he's had the benefit of a couple of nice years enjoying the country air in Taunton - he realises he has gained "marketable skills", and he's off to work for some company or other.

Trouble is that everyone is looking for that same, elusive, bloke. You know, the perfect, ready trained all-rounder, able to hit the ground running.

But Neil is right. We all have to work until we drop now. So why should you guys be any different? Just pace yourself, Mate.

I used to be a bit of a banker in the days when it paid well. I can't see any experienced biomed worth their salt packing up their bags and moving round the country for a band 5, unless they are having difficulty getting a full time job.
Geoff are there many agencies about nowadays? What are their T&C's, do they pay towards accommodation, travelling etc? What hourly rates do they pay?

Best enquire with the agent, Bill (hint: he's a sponsor of this forum).

But, in my own experience, the answers would be:- no, no and ... er, not so good.

I notice that we have yet to hear back from our mates in Taunton, but I have heard "over the wire" that a couple of regular agency guys (if that's not in fact a contradiction in terms) have been beavering away down at Musgrove Park.

Geoff, the agency guys have proven theirselves to be an asset to our dept.
They are now employed by us as bank staff and, allowing for due process, may become permenant members of our team.


Cheers
Mark

Mark,
Just out of interest, as a ballpark figure how much does it cost to employ an agency/ bank tech compared with the in-house guys? When I was doing it (as it were) the company I worked for charged the Trust about 5 times my hourly rate.

Sounds like you all got a result there then, Mark.

New blood at Taunton at last!

@Bill: those days have long gone (if indeed they really existed at all). As far as I am aware, a few quid on top of the tech's hourly rate is the best they get away with these day.

My own reckoning, based upon actual rates I have seen these last few years, is that on a pro-rata basis, hiring an agency tech can actually be a cheaper proposition than a permanent post holder, if all costs (holidays, pensions etc., etc.) are factored in.

But don't forget that the agency route is not the only way to secure temporary techs for one-off or special tasks (such as clearing a PM back-log, or out-of-hours work in the operating theatres, for example). There are freelance techs about as well.

Geoff, we have an aging workforce and some have recently retired.
The agency guys are both very good and are eager to learn. They're well qualified but lacking in experience. That's not to say that they don't cut the mustard.

Agency rates appear to be expensive, but,like you've described, you have to compare like with like. A permanent member of staff's true costs are approximately 1.8 x their salary.

Biomedbill
Bank staff get the same pay, but they don't get the same holidays or sick pay entitlements.

Cheers
Mark