Dear Colleagues
As reported at the last GMB Ambulance Committee we continue with the ongoing talks with the ambulance employers on the key concessions secured for the Ambulance Service. One key strand of the work is the review of Job Descriptions (JD) of key ambulance staff in particular one area we have been exploring is a recruitment and retention (R&R) premia of paramedics. These discussions have had a mixed response from the employers. The biggest barrier to these discussions is the absence of available funding.
The Job Evaluation Group have suggested in order to undertake a review of Job Descriptions (JD) further information is needed from ambulance employers. We are working with ambulance employers to assess how best details of ambulance staff JD’s and profiles are collated. Whilst this work is being carried out (as this make take some time) the staff side have decided to submit evidence for a specific recruitment and retention premia via the NHS Pay Review Body.
In addition to this evidence submission we are undertaking a very specific survey and we need your help to get this survey cascaded to the appropriate occupation groups.
This survey is being run by the 3 main trade unions representing ambulance staff, UNISON, GMB and Unite. The results of this survey will help us to represent the views of paramedics at the NHS Pay Review Body and with employers at a national level. Paramedics are in short supply and high demand is leaving NHS ambulance services facing a recruitment and retention crisis. We want to understand the pressures Paramedics are under and what factors might encourage them to stay in their job or seek alternative employment. Please note we already know the Migration Advisory Council have now listed Paramedics on a critical shortage list and as a result this occupation group is now being recruited from abroad.
The GMB remains committed to a proper Job Evaluation Group process of Band 5 and Band 6 Ambulance Staff. We have also submitted a paper to the ambulance employers to consider all ambulance staff and the increasing pressures facing them on a daily basis. This approach has had a mixed response from employers therefore as the timeline of the NHS Pay Review Body is tight, the staff side decided to utilise an opportunity available within the current round of calls to the PRB evidence to submit specific evidence for a R&R for ambulance staff.
In order to build the case ahead of the oral evidence we need your help and therefore a joint union survey monkey has been established. The survey is anonymous and other than employer name, no personal details, are asked. Could you cascade this survey across the specific occupation groups as soon as possible.
Please see link below
https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/paramedicretention
Posted: 19th October 2015