Over the last few years I have seen some discrepancies on how medical engineers are getting paid and how the NHS band system works.

From a recent Job Description "You should be qualified to relevant degree or equivalent in engineering discipline or equivalent level of knowledge gained through experience/vocational training" this is for a Band 5 job.

Why would someone with a degree want a Band 5 job? Replies from more experienced Medical Engineers who have worked in the NHS would be appreciated.

Darth Welder – “Eight weeks until I become a pensioner”

Simple answer they dont unless they are after their first job in this country or there is the oppurtunity for them to progress in the future.
If they carry on like this they are not going to have anyone left.

If you also take that the average cost of a manufacturers time is around the £100/hr plus travel time they are really taking the proverbial.
Its an issue that maybe the VRCT should take up and they would get a lot of support.

Not sure on the first job in this country as the previous government tightened up on the immigration policy. (won't comment on how well they did) To come to the UK as skilled labour you now need a MSc in engineering or science. There was a scheme where graduates could apply to stay after their studies, so it could be the hang on in the UK until they find better work.

Billy,

I don't think you'll get much joy out of the VRCT as they more or less advocate that you need a degree to become registered and that registration starts at band 5. so much for enhancing our profession.

When I entered the profession in 2002, with a relevant degree, I entered as MTO1*** on the old Whitley scales, moving to MTO2 after a year to prove that I wasn't completely useless. The MTO2 post was matched to AfC Band 5.

Generally, no-one up here is considered for MTO3/Band 6 until they've been in the job for at least three years.

So to answer the question, one would take the Band 5 job to get experience to go for a Band 6 job.

I'd be interested to know if the situation is significantly different elsewhere.

Entered the profession as Snr ICU Technician (MTO3)in 2002 with ONC. This translated to Band 6 (eventually).
Not eligible for VRCT due to qualification requirements.
Whilst the job i applied for asked for ONC at the time, another MTO3 post which was awarded to a degree holder was downgraded to MTO2 for 12 months due to no prior work experience.
We have recently took on a band 5 with ONC although for many years now all B5 Posts stipulate Degree. Therefore it seems like guidance and that it is experience that counts for many (i'm pleased to see).

The rules vary all over the country I think. I joined a Southwest hospital in 2008 with 2.5 years medical experience and a HNC and got a Band 4. I got a Band 5 after I had got on the VRCT (which involved lots of conversations with IPEM and eventually having to be registered with the IET before they would accept my application). Now I am waiting for a Band 6, which according to the specifications I must be 'specialised' in a certain area.
J

Unless your employers are actively pursuing the band 6 for you, you may be waiting a while. Can not believe that they give you a band 5 on the strength of the VRCT endorsement as it is 'voluntary'. You may have grounds for an unfair pay action against them for loss of earnings.

Under which clause? There's sexual discrimination, race, transgender to name a few, failing that there's breach of contract but with out having a contract for band 6 you couldn't do much.

I have been told it is in the pipeline. At our hospital the VRCT is compulsory if you want to progress, which is causing problems for some people.

Equal value pay awards could be sited in this point. If you are doing a similar job to a someone else on a higher pay scale then you are entitled to a review.
Our review here is about to kick off again (cost to the trust the last time into the 10's of millions) due to putting people on a band that was below what a similar worker was doing.

Sounds like your management are keeping it quiet about the VRCT and progression as this is quite simply discrimination. You have a person at your hospital who's job is to monitor this and there is nothing wrong with dropping them a line purely off the record. Discrimination comes in many forms I am saddened to see.

Also if it is compulsory how many of your outside contractors/manufacturers have it?

Good luck

Pay is always a bone of contention in many areas, my personnel view is individuals should be paid by what skills they are bringing into the job i.e experience, manufacturers courses and any specialist skills that may be required.

I also think if people go above what is required of them in the post they are in then they should be rewarded and if all you are doing is the bare minimum no reward should be forthcoming.

Darth Welder - 52 days till I am a pensioner!

jmg (or should I call you Mr.0403?),

I understand that individual departments can set their own crieria for career progression but they must be seen to be fair and equitable. So if someone says that you have to be registered with a "voluntary" organisation you should be able to challenge it on the grounds that other people doing the same job do not have to. There seems to be a lot of it going around. Perhaps it's time for like minded individuals to look into the possiblitiy of taking up a class action against departments that insist on wielding the voluntary stick to prevent staff progressing.

I think you've been watching too many US TV legal drama's there, class actions are American, UK law works on common law and precedents. What you can't be discriminated on at work is here and unfortunately if it's not one of these you can legally be discriminated a against and that includes not being a member of a voluntary register.

Yes Darth ... but welcome to the Real World!

3 1/2 years experience in the department, HNC (equivalent) in Clinical Technology, Foundation Degree (HND equivalent) in Medical Technology, VRCT registered. I've just been refused a Band 5 as I don't have a degree.

Aw shucks and darn it Chris, spoiled my rant

I have to say that we used to have in this country the 'closed shop mentality' and the must have VRCT membership in some ways may be breaking the law that was brought in to break the closed shop.
If you have the academic qualifications then why use a voluntary register to allow your employees to progress.

As for 'segs' put in a request for day release and a request to your education department for monies to help with achieveing your degree. As they will have an investors in people policy and equal rights policy then they can not really refuse you as they let nurses do it. You can then apply for the job and put that you are working towards your degree. Ther are lots of nurses out there without degrees on higher bands than a five. Equal value pay claims at this place showed that up.

Unfortunaly the closed shop laws only applied to unions and doesn't really apply to the VRCT.

Although comparision with nurses does actually work for Equal pay since at Agenda for change most posts were compared with nursing posts and it then comes under sexual discrimination. You could ask if your on the VRCT how come nurses get higher bands with similar training and registration requirement?

There is something else that you can all try and that is that registered nurses get an extra tax break for the payment of professional registration. £30+ I seem to remember when the registration doubled overnight.

Hey it might mean that you could make money by being in the VRCT.

That was two schemes, first was the tax exemption of payments as part of your profession, which can also be claimed for IET and IPEM membership. Second was the contribution to nurses registration fees which was then discontinued.

Of course there is one scheme that unless your a member of IPEM you can't claim back as its not recognised by the Inland revenue as a requirement, I wonder which one that is?

Got a PAYE Coding Notice in front of me for 2011-12 from HM Revenue & Customs which tells me that my allowance for professional subscriptions for this year is £42. The only professional body I am in is the IPEM and I paid a bit more than this last year.

Abin ROY