June Q&A
Q: Disappointed not to have an update on the TOMs in this brief today.
Response: Would it be useful to have an overarching slide on the status of each TOM as these are at various stages. If want details of a specific TOM, just drop me an email, Daniel Scheffer.
Q: We still don't have a TOM for our service - so how can we manage VR in a vacuum?
Response: The VR isn’t exclusively around corporate services and TOMs on their own. The SROs for the services will have an idea of what the scale of the organisational TOM is and what the cost of that will be in the future even if approximate. So, they’ll be able to work through whether we can afford to take some VR or not in that process and that’s how that will be managed.
Q: Why are the TOMs taking such a long time to deliver, I understand the complications and implications but we have been told in Digital Services that this may not be completed until the end of the year, we have been promised time and time again that it will be sorted soon. It will have taken nearly 18 months to sort this if working to December time scales and this has left myself and a lot of my team with more questions rather than answers, we are picking up additional work for other Trusts in the group such as LHCH and WCNN with no concrete guidelines or job titles as well as also supporting our original Trust.
Response: With the TOMs, some of those we have got through the process quicker whereas some have been more complicated. Digital Services obviously includes The Walton Centre, an organisation outside of the Group. So that’s a bit more complex and it is very big. Obviously, it is complex but we should continue to keep on talking to people about where these processes are up to. I will ask Matt to do another communication to everyone involved in his teams around that timescale and some more up to date information.
Q: Can you confirm that all staff will have two years protected pay if their role and band does not exist in the new TOMs?
Response: The Group wide Management of Change (previously named Workforce Change policy) confirms the pay protection entitlement which is dependent on individuals service which is up to maximum of 2 years. HR and Trade Union colleagues will be able to support if required. Thank you.
Q: I work in an area that is largely staffed with high number of admin. We've recently been told verbally that none of us will be getting the VR but none of this has come to us formally through the correct process channels as yet. Is that right that we can be told we're not getting it before any formal review?
Response: No that’s not right - these are still being considered dependent on financial allocation to resource it.
Q: Can you confirm that managers and service leads will be consulted on VR applications that will directly affect their service provision
Response: Thank you. Centrally this is coordinated by SROs and senior leads we do and will emphasise that line managers are involved in this consideration.
Q: Can we share with VR applicants they can have an outcome in 24/48 hours?
Response: Thank you - like applicants we are keen to provide clarity so as soon as we have this as James explains we will confirm this with applicants.
Q: Based on the update just provided, is it likely that people who have already received individual confirmation that their VR application has been approved but still awaiting paperwork, could see this being rescinded due to external funding?
Response: Thank you. There is optimism that we can confirm phase 2 applicants in the coming days. Should any position change, we will share this and of course support staff.
Q: The VR minutes from April's staff brief state that if applicants haven't heard the outcome of their application, (either way) they should email the VR inbox, for an update. I've emailed it twice, once I received an automated reply stating the scheme closed on 2nd March. The 2nd time I got no reply. HR within my trust (Liverpool Women's) say they are unable to help, as they have no input at local level It feels as if, after corporate services were sorted, other staff have just been left in limbo.
Response: I completely appreciate it feels as though people have been left in limbo. We are waiting on the finance at the minute and once we get that, we’ll be able to come back and say how many of the VR applications we can approve and close off the process. I apologise how long it’s taking but the financial aspect of it is beyond our control.
Q: Could you please clarify why car park allocations at Aintree predominantly favour orange, green, and grey zones? I have observed no allocations for yellow (car park 1). Additionally, could you explain the rationale behind directing night staff to the multi-storey car park, considering that the yellow car park is a mere two-minute walk from their assigned ward?
Response: All car park allocations have been shared and the use of MSCP for night staff is to provide the most accessible car park linked with corridors. Staff may continue to use other surface car parks if they prefer.
Q: How is the allocation of car parking prioritised as there are many available spaces in mount vernon green and staff are told there no spaces available.
Response: There are currently some spaces reserved for staff members who have appeals pending.
Q: Is it true that the car park attendants are going to be working until 10pm at Aintree, putting tickets on cars? And when staff go online to pay, it comes up as a charitable donation when you try to pay. Surely that's not correct, or is it a tax dodge?
Response: Car park attendants predominantly work during peak hours, this isn't changing.
Q: Can we have equality of access to the LWH electric car charge points? They are currently at the back of the site which is gated and often only used by the highest bands.
Response: We intend installing more charging points across the sites, and can confirm that the rear car park isn't allocated based on rank.
Q: Just to say thanks for the lovely cafe in the Dental foyer, it's very handy for us in the Edwards building.
Response: Thanks, we are also upgrading some other facilities for example the former WRVS outlet at LWH, the Dental Hospital 4th floor facility and later in the year the staff restaurant at BGH site.
Q: I know access/exits to all the sites is mentioned a lot. But given the current roadworks outside the trust are massively impacting the Aintree site affecting patients and staff - are there any plans to try and improve access routes to the site, especially given there are discussions to bring other services (inc staff and patients) to site which will add to the current congestion.
Response: We aren't proposing to change access routes due to the current roadworks.
Q: Will the temporary structures in Carpark 1 be permanently utilized as staff and changing rooms? Given the £7 million investment in the new kitchen facility, it would seem logical for these amenities to have been incorporated into the primary building design.
Response: There are temporary buildings adjacent the new kitchen which are for displaced storage, specifically bed storage. These will be permanently reprovided in the facilities centre where the old kitchen used to be.
Q: I asked last month about the cafe loyalty points schemes and was advised this was still in place - however the staff in the Cafe at Aintree have been advised by the "bosses" the scheme has ceased because there is an "issue" with the cards. Can you advise if this concession is still available or not.
Response: This is not the case, the cards have been printed and are still in use, we will ensure staff member understand this situation.
Q: Can you inform us why some departments such as Macmillan Information and Support centre have been left off the new signage at RLH?
Response: E&F will follow up to check if this is an oversight.
Q: There are never enough alternative dairy options in the coffee shops- is this something that could be raised with catering to order more soy, oat milk etc
Response: Most coffee shop outlets do stock non-dairy milk products so please let us know where this is, but we will check stock levels with the catering team.
Q: Signage needs to be improved on the sites not only in the hospital buildings but also outside. When there are many car parks and buildings it is really easy for patients to get lost. I have found many patients trying to find where they are going - especially if they only have vague hospital texts for the appointment location (and that we keep moving things to make more space).
Response: Signage is always a balancing act and the information sent to patients and on the websites is being updated to reflect the best locations.
Q: Signage at Aintree is shocking and the maps enclosed with letters are out of date. Is there any update when this will be looked at? Also, could we invest in an electric buggy for elderly patients who have appointments in the towers?
Response: These letters are currently being updated.
Q: The new electric charging points at AUH appear to have solar on the roof. Will the charging rates be reduced for staff to reflect this?
Response: The solar feeds into the general system and keeps energy costs down our costs have increased by £3m this year. Charges are reviewed periodically for EV charging to match actual costs.
Q: Will signage be added to the new EV points in Royal NCP asking for the spaces to be used for EV charging only?
Response: E&F will follow up on this to match signage on other sites.
Q: Is there a timescale when the work will be finished outside the Edwards Building and the road opened up again please? Thanks.
Response: The road works at the rear of the Dental are due to finish in September but is ahead of program, so this may be sooner but is dependent on the podium works that have just commenced.
Q: Lack of refreshments at Aintree on night the pizza shop is closed most of the week and is frustrating as the app says it’s open when it’s not and it wastes staffs breaks going down to a closed shop.
Response: We will ensure opening times are updated, there are options available on site at night.
Q: What is the frequency of waste collection in the Office areas at RLH. We have had lots of bags being dumped along corridors next to overflowing bins and fire exits, lots with food in which has been smelling.
Response: There are 3 levels of service depending on the areas and footfalls and open plan areas, we will consider the point about waste being left for too long.
Q: We are seeking clarification regarding the utilization of steel cages for laundry containment at Aintree, specifically in the context of ward-based soiled linen, as opposed to the standard black or grey bins. We note the apparent availability of these bins, particularly in proximity to the on-site laundry facilities. We are concerned about the potential implications for infection prevention and control (IPC) protocols, given that soiled and potentially contaminated linen is being stored externally throughout the day and overnight. As an example, this morning, approximately eight cages of laundry were observed to have been left outdoors overnight near entrance M, opposite Bluebell House.
Response: We will investigate and review custom and practice and frequency of collections thanks for raising.
Q: Really disappointing to see lots of empty desks with PCs removed recently on the 9th floor RLH given that this is premium office space for medical, nursing and admin teams. Can this be looked into?
Response: The desk move was down to The Cancer Services Admin moving to Edwards Building and the spaces will be filled in due course.
Q: Why was Sickness policy changed without consulting us? Or at least a percentage of us?
Response: The UHLG Attendance policy was agreed to be the most important policy to standardise across the group. We engaged with staff side leads in consultation to develop the policy- this is how we develop policies in the organisation as staff side represent the views of staff. In addition, there was engagement with some groups of staff, managers and HR colleagues. Individual feedback remains welcome - please email me rachel.
Q: Can you please provide the rationale behind changing the sickness policy, this seems to have been done very quietly in the background with little input from teams, as no one in my directorate including HOOP was aware of the changes coming in or the reasoning behind the decision.
Response: Please contact your Divisional HR Business Partner and/or your HR Advisor who will be able to support the implementation of this within your area of work and work through any concerns with you. Thank you.
Q: I wasn't aware the policy had changed? Will HR provide training sessions and launch sessions?
Response: It will be launched in the coming weeks and yes absolutely training sessions are currently being scheduled to support managers as well as awareness sessions for staff.
Q: What is changing in the sickness policy?
Response: There are a lot of questions at the minute about the sickness policy, and some further communications will come out about this soon.
Q: I have recently returned to work following maternity leave last year. My child has started nursery. As a result, I have been off work unwell far more frequently that I would be had I not had a child in nursery and I am facing being on an absence management plan. There is evidence that has come out stating a child in their first year of nursery will get an average of 12 illnesses per year, which being in close proximity to them, parents are likely to catch as well. Please could this evidence be factored into the sickness policy? Given that the sickness policy allows for 3 absences in any year, parents of children in nursery are very likely to trigger on this, which is very distressing, especially when adjusting to being a parent as well as an employee. Perhaps allow for more absences for parents with children in nursery or remove any staging procedures for the first four years following maternity or paternity leave.
Response: If you can share your details with me, I can connect you with the HR team to factor in your feedback. james.dawson@liverpoolft.nhs.uk. Thank you.
Q: Will we get a digital front door icon on our desktop?
Response: Really good suggestion, I will take this up with the leads of this project to see if this is an option. Thank you.
Q: Can you share the links to the people services digital front door so I have it on my laptop rather than on my personal phone? Thanks
Response: https://
Q: When will People Services Digital Front Door be launched in LWH?
Response: Hi, it is in place at LWH and has been communicated within LWH comms updates. We will be including again in this week's Weekly Digest as a reminder too, but it is live for LWH. There is some signposting to it via the LWH Intranet which remains in place. There is a wider project to align individual UHL Intranets which is separate to the Digital Front Door tool.
Q: QR Code for HR policies etc does not appear to work for LHCH staff.
Response: Apologies if this is the case, as James has described we have had challenges with cross site QR Codes working, however I am sure we can rectify this. I will pick up with colleagues - thanks for feeding this back.
Q: Could you please clarify the rationale behind the differing sickness policies across various wards? I am specifically referring to the restriction on undertaking bank shifts for a two-week period post-illness in certain areas, which stands in contrast to other wards where staff are permitted to resume bank shifts immediately upon their return. This disparity appears inconsistent with section 3.22.1 of the sickness policy, "Cessation of Additional Hours," which stipulates, "There should not be an 'automatic ban' on working additional hours following a period of sickness absence; instead, each case should be considered in terms of its appropriateness in relation to the absence levels and health and well-being of the employee concerned."
Response: The UHLG Attendance Policy will be launched in the coming weeks and will standardise approaches.
Q: At the end of the month the updated Equality and Human Rights Commission's Code of Practice is due to be approved which will have hugely detrimental impacts to the health and wellbeing of our trans colleagues and patients. Whilst I understand we take guidance from the government and NHS England, as one of the biggest employers in the region, an anchor institution and currently supporting pride month with the progress pride flag across all our comms, should we not be using our voice to speak out against this?
Response: Thank you for raising this concern. Please can I ask you in the first instance to contact pip.
Q: Are spend/budget restrictions still in place - are we able to put stationery orders through NHS Supply?
Response: Unfortunately, we remain within a deficit position, and spending controls remain in place. We have to try to use the Group and NHS scale to achieve best value for items we order, the supply chain service purchase across the country to achieve best price which is why we use this service. Hope that helps, Rob.
Q: Is the 9th floor being cleared for finance to be in the same location? This is the "rumour".
Response: This is news to me I’m afraid... so I can confirm this is not the plan. Thanks, Rob.
Q: Can the finance / procurement process be looked at or more power given to local teams to sign off up to a certain amount. For example in Digital Services we get quotes that are only valid for 7 days now and with the current process of having to have to go to board and get a CON number prices are rising daily due to supply chain and worldwide factors, one example is one our quotes / orders which was raised back in April has only just been signed off and due to above factors have made the order increased by £13k which is extra cost to Trust.
Response: We have a set of delegated signs off intended to try and enable sign off as far as possible at a local level - with escalation over set values as you would expect. In addition, the digital process is intended enable quick escalation - however if there are areas we can improve, we are always open to them - and we need to avoid unintended cost increases. We can check with Digital department the specifics here - but again any good ideas please do contact for consideration. Many thanks, Rob.
Q: Corporate recruitment freezes and subsequent removal of vacant posts from establishments, whilst difficult to manage, have on the whole been accepted to support the trust in achieving its spend reduction targets. We are being told we now need to 'go again' but there really is nothing left to cut. How are we to manage this round of cuts whilst delivering BAU and TOMs. Will VR be opened up to other applicants?
Response: Just to be clear on the TOM’s, those which have been agreed (others are still going through the process of what they will look like) we’re not going back and reorganising these. What we’re saying in regard to VR and other ways to reduce cost is we’re going to have to find other ways to open up (as is suggested in the query) to other areas. So, we’re not going to scrap the TOMs and do them again, but we are going to continually look at other opportunities to reduce the pay bill where people may potentially do VR.
For VR, we had a small amount of money for the first phase from the ICB. We have a chunk of money for a second phase and that is in discussion, and we expect an answer soon on. Rob is also trying to negotiate a third phase with additional funding, but that is not guaranteed. It is something we’re taking to meetings next week to ask if we were to go again with VR, what financial support will be available. We want to ensure if we were to go into a third phase of negotiations for VR money, but phase two hasn’t completed. So, I can’t guarantee that there will be future phases but that is definitely another opportunity we are looking at. James Sumner
Q: Regarding the new EPR which we are starting to hear about, are those who will be using it going to be involved in its design? To be an upgrade on IPM it needs to be quicker and easier to use in key areas such as registering patients, booking appointments etc. The concern is that it will be signed off by a team working in an office without really considering those who will be using it day to day in our hospitals. Thank you.
Response: Hi - we'll be looking to share more information on EPR soon, but if you have a specific query relating to being involved in the area you work in, if you email communications@uhliverpool.nhs.uk we can pass it onto the EPR team as conscious unfortunately we don't have digital representation on today's session. Thanks.
Q: Just to note at LWH compliance for Resident Doctors Mandatory Training has improved as of Feb 26 were 3rd from bottom in league table for Cheshire and Merseyside with 63% compliance. As at the end of May now 4th in league table compliance at 88%
Response: That’s fantastic - great to hear!
Q: Can we get the national uniform please?
Response: Hi - thanks for this. The national uniform will be rolled out across the Group at some point. We're just putting a proposal together for the organisation so I can take it to the Executive for agreement. Remember this is a national uniform so it’s quite prescriptive about who wears what (this is always a bone of contention isn't it!). We'll be in consultation with staff side colleagues when we have a paper to share. In the meantime, please continue ordering the normal uniform (though don't order too many!). Thanks. David M
Q: Some fantastic work going on across the organisation, well done everyone nominated for awards.
Response: Yes, every time we get into the really difficult things going on it misses the opportunity to focus on some of the brilliant stuff happening within the organisation. Literally, the performance improvement in the last year, the fact we’ve managed to get to where we’ve got with elective and cancer patients with all of those financial constraints. There’s some really great stuff happening and loads of innovation going on across the place as well. So, I would really encourage that you spend as much time as you can looking at that stuff as well as the difficult issues going on as well. James Sumner.