EBME Forums Forums Free discussion Free discussion Trips to the Dark Side

Hi Chris,
As I said before business is business. Hey if people want to do charity work, bungee jump or work for anyone else in their own time good luck to them (I Know I do, well everthing except bungee jump!). The whole debate as started by the veritable Mr Hannis merely asks the question do those in the full time employ of the NHS have an advantage in being able to pick and choose contract work?

"Just because you get paid by the NHS doesn't mean that you'll accept anything when doing contract work"

When you are on the dark side you have to accept anything and everything!!

Perhaps we are cheaper in the UK? Only time will tell................

Best regards
Ed Bennett
Southwest Medical Ltd

Hi Ed

Perhaps the answers yes then depending on where other people work. It depends if a company like Philips would let their employees carry out work in their spare time, that's similar to their daily work. I know before I came to the NHS the company I worked for, the contract had a strict non-competing clause so I could not do that work in my spare time. Then again as contractors you can as you put it accept anything and everything so perhaps you have an advantage over NHS staff.

The NHS is obviously UK based so I imaging these foreign contracts would possibly be the only one's that NHS staff would be permitted.

At the end of the day NHS staff are just the same as any other staff, their not doing this for voluntary work, their all trying to make some money to bring home and are probably often going to competing against you.

Although looking at your website I can see why your beefed, when after the NHS has been taking your UK contracts, their employees start taking your foreign ones as well!

Seems I might have hit a bit of a raw nerve here, then! Sour grapes? Not at all, Chris. But I do wonder where you get hold of the idea that people who work most of their lives on the "Dark Side" then expect to get a good job in the NHS? That certainly has not been my experience. Quite the opposite, in fact.

From my perspective, guys who work in the NHS have the kind of job security that I’ve never had (well, not since leaving the army all those years ago, at least).

Ed says that all is fair in love, war and business. Well, the next NHS guy I encounter when out on a field trip can expect short-shrift from me, be assured of that!

Hi Geoff

That's a pity that you'll give the next NHS guy you encounter short-shrift, since at the end of the day their just another individual doing a job, you don't get branded on entry with NHS stock (or at least they haven't caught up with me yet ) They may have the advantage that unlike some companies they don't have impossed on them a blanket ban on external work in the same field, but this isn't anything special to the NHS.

As you also work in the UK also I just hope that the NHS guys you meet don't give you short-shrift for basically doing in the UK what their doing abroad!

Hi Gents,
This topic seems to be going in a rather unfriendly direction. There are pros and cons for working in the NHS as there is with the private sector. I know because I've worked in both. If people want to spend their annual leave in this way and earn extra cash to support their families, who are we to condem them.
I'd also imagine the number of people taking part in these activities, whom work in the NHS are very few and far between.

Dom

As one of the damned I am quite happy to "have my cake and eat it"... at the end of the day I've a family to look after and bills to pay, and I need to look out for number 1 (as do most biomeds that are being kept on low wages by the hidden agenda for change process).

The NHS is quite happy for us to persue this avenue as long as it does not affect the service... so as long as the extra cash comes in I will be jetting off to foreign countries at the expense of a few days annual leave (harder than you think having no holiday in a year!!)

I'm not too sure why Geoff will be giving US the "short-shrift", as I'm sure if he was an NHS biomed given the chance to visit unusual (and until a certain film was recently released, unheard of) places for a few days and get paid 2 months salary for it he would jump at the chance too!!! Maybe his gripe should be with the company that employs biomeds such as us, after all it's them that have taken on these contracts, not us!! If you want "fair competition", perhaps you should be doing it yourself and get your own biomeds!?

Looking into the future, we are encoraging our guy in the UK to find us more contracts...after all, why would we want to work for the NHS for 52 weeks a year, when we can get the same money for for 9 weeks work abroad? We may cross to the "Dark Side" ourselves if the opportunity arrises.

Regards
Simon Robinson
NHS Biomed looking towards the "Dark Side"

Hello Mates,

So, now we all know who the two guys in question were (... “out of the mouths of babes”)! But Dom is right, we should keep it friendly. For your information, I am very aware of “the company” in question, and agree that, if I have any “gripe” at all (?), it’s really with him.

“Doing it ourselves and getting our own biomeds” is exactly what we’re talking about. Is that what happened with you guys? I don’t think so.

But yes, I have been on the receiving end of “short-shrift” from biomeds within the NHS, but no, the particular guys in question there are not the type I would ever expect to meet on trips overseas (see Dom's second point).

And lastly, I if ever get my way, all the NHS biomed departments would be privatised into the Dark Side, you would all work for me, and I would deploy you wherever I wanted some work to be done! Rest assured that all those who have given me the brush-off in the past would be on the next helicopter ride to Tengiz. Ha, ha!

"Come to the dark side Luke, I am your father !"


No not really, but Simon if your serious about the eternal damnation, never being seen in public etc then perhaps we should talk...................

Best regards
Ed Bennett
Southwest Medical Ltd

You should do Geoff, from what I hear it's the company who had the contract the previous year! You mention your trying to build your business but in this case it wasn't your business was it, it was someone else's and he approached the trust and not the employees actively seeking the contract.
And what sort of type is that then? I'm not sure on this but hasn't the other person who use to do this contract joined the NHS? Even if he hasn't there's a few who have, when did they become the wrong sort?

From having a perspective from the other side of this situation I know there's more to this situation than you care to mention.

Personally I think you hit the nail on the head when you said "if I have any “gripe” at all (?), it’s really with him" if you've got a grievance with a certain employer I suguest you take it up with him personannly instead of coming on these forums and;
a) paragraph 1 blaming the NHS staff
b) in 3 making it appear that their ruining your business
c) in 4 making allegations against a Trust (very dubious when one individual involved is a competitor!)

Perhaps if you loose this them and us attitude you might actually experience less "short-shrift"

Isnt it against NHS policy to moonlight??
Or did my friend just use that as an excuse for being sacked??