EBME Forums Forums Management Professional Issues Agenda For Change Disclosing AFC results

Roy,
When you say your team leader / workshop supervisor / deputy department manager is being re-evaluated do you mean they have gone to an A4C appeal panel. We have been told this is the only mechanism for such activity.

Hi people .

My MTOs are about to be assimilated on the AfC grades. Although I don't have the official confirmation, I have all JDs, person specs. and effort proformas' (if that's how you spell it!).

I attended the 6 day ( "judging, sentencing and hanging" ) AfC training course, so I could write their paper work. As you all know, "the devil is in the detail"

The regrades should (will) be:

2 x Electronic MTO2's (both got HNC, 4 & 6yrs experience) = Specialist (band 6),
1 x Elec./ Mech. MTO3 (top scale, no stars, 12yrs experience) = Specialist (band 6),
2 x Electronic MTO3s (top of scale, no stars, 1 with HNC, 8yrs experience; the other a degree 15yrs experience) = Section Manager (band 7),
2 x "newbees - MTO2s/ apprentices" (being advertised, entry level - band 4).

If you need copies of paper work, e-mail me on Edward.Whelan@Whittington.nhs.uk.

I have seen the application pack including job specification and job descriptions for 2? posts that you have going in Medical Engineering at the moment Eddie (I think it's your place anyhow). I assume you were involved in writing them - they're very impressive indeed. I have no doubt that, as you say, the devil's in the detail! Well done. Puts the efforts of some to shame in my opinion.

Hello Richard. Thanks for the compliment .

I realised early on that many people would be placed on a lower scale if they didn't fit the profiles (i.e. they will be screwed by their Trusts, because MTOs/ Clinical Scientists "generally" do not play the management game !). Thus, I was one of the first to volunteer to be trained for panels in AfC in my Trust ( you can't play chess, without all the pieces!). So about a two years ago, I told my MTOs what to do, what to say, whom to say it too and what Trust committees to crash in on (some MTOs liked it, some REALY didn't!). I told them it would be financially rewarding in the future. If we didn't plan, they could continue to be excellent techs. on the same pay scale (or lower) for ever, and ever, and ever!!

This enable me to plan their JDs (+ other paper work), which in turn increased their profiles in our Trust. Just apply the principles of evolution, "adaptation usually wins". The way I see it is: committees run the NHS, so don't just get involved - take them over and become the key to their success!

MTOs have a wealth of "black box" knowledge (i.e. they know what hospital equipment/ systems connect to other equipment/ systems). That in its self is worth £1,000s to external companies. All EBME depts. should be controlling what equipment comes into their Trusts via their committees - the real key is to identify the dipensers of the capital/ revenue monies and approach them with your ideas (!!Capital Monitoring Group!!).

All of the above increases AfC grading across my dept .

Hi all,
I'm wondering do any of you guy's have equipment librarians within your departments and how have they done with afc?

The four people who run our Equipment Library have gone the JAQ route after getting a non match.

Hi Tracy. Congratulations on your re-grading, unfortunately we are not having such a good time with AFC and are currently going through a re-match to improve on our current Band 4 outcome! Would it be possible for you to e-mail me a copy of your JD to assist us in not getting further screwed!!! ( By the way, we are currently MTO3 +3stars).

Cheers.

Oops, you might need to have my e-mail address to contact me! Stewart.Metcalf@chs.northy.nhs.uk

Hi Tracy,
Ref previous reply, there was a mistake in e mail address, please send a copy of your JD to dave.brough@nth.nhs.uk

Regards Dave

Hi all

Congratulations Tracy on your A4C banding. Just wondering how you were matched to a Specialist Physiological Measurement profile rather than the Medical Engineering Technician Specialist. Do you carry out physiological measurment in your role?

Also, as we suspected all along, there is a growing disparity in banding as the process continues.

Eddie = MTO3 = Band7
Glyn = MTO3 = Band5
Stew = MTO3*3 = Band4

All of this is down to how well a manager interpreted the requirements of a profile and worded a local job description. (Not a very precise methodology, even with your agreement).

Does anyone know if these massive variations will be addressed nationally by the Core Review Group?

Anyway, probably too late now, but good luck everyone.

Paul