New NHS App

One of the first comments Matt Hancock made as new minister for health is that more NHS Apps were on the way.  He stated : “”The NHS needs to be more convenient for you, but also to help clinicians so that doctors’ and nurses’ lives are easier.” A new NHS App prototype has just been announced.

The New NHS APPs

It has been announced this week that the NHS are working on a new App. The idea behind the new NHS Apps is to make life easier for patients to do a variety of everyday things. These include:

• Access to your medical records
• GP appointment booking
• Repeat prescription ordering
• Changing organ donation preferences
• Changing data sharing preferences
• Skype your GP instead of going to the surgery

Other functionality available includes end of life preferences, where you would like to be cared for, and your religious beliefs so these can be taken into account after death.

The NHS is referring to this as an “ advances statement “ , this may also include whether you wish to refuse treatment in certain circumstances and power of attorney.

At moment the plan is this information will go to your GP and not the NHS database, so one does have to wonder what the next stage will be.

The real challenge is how all this information is going to be pooled together to provide useful and meaningful information to the NHS to streamline processes, enhance decision making and having reliable and usable information to hand that changes the way the NHS operates.

The other challenge will be how NHS Digital will get all the NHS systems to talk/integrate with each other.  Another challenge will be the user experience. How much information will the user have to be input and how long will it take? Will the app be user friendly and easy to navigate?

When will we see the new NHS Apps?

It is expected that testing will start with a selected number of GP practices before the end of the year, starting with 2000 patients and ten GP practices. Areas with high Wi-Fi and strong internet will be targeted for the testing. It is reported that the general public may see a scaled down version of the App by early next year.

A year after a full roll out of the new NHS Apps, it is estimated that there will be 16 million users registered for online GP services, 3 million GP appointments being booked and 7 million prescriptions being ordered through the new app.

Nursing Personnel Nurse Agency App

Nursing Personnel nursing agency have a free App available to all registered agency workers. The App allows you to view your compliance information that the agency holds on you. This is the information the NHS frameworks audit, so you see what the agency sees. By having this information available easily you can ensure your file is 100% up to date and can view anything this that is going to expire like a DBS check or mandatory training. By ensuring file is kept up to date means you will always be able to work and accept an agency nurse shift when you want to work.

The App will also let you update your availability, request shifts, you can view all available shifts on Nursing Personnel database, giving you choice of what agency nurse jobs you want to choose.

Agency nurses can search the hundreds of nursing agency jobs we have available by post code, so you can view the nurse jobs closest to your home.

The app lets you control the way you wish to work. The app is available free for apple and android phones. To view the app download it free from the App store or Android app store.

For more information on Nursing Personnel nursing agency click here or call us on 033 3043 6779.

Agency Nurse £500 Bouns

£500 Agency Nurse Bonus

Nursing Personnel are now offering for a limited time a £500 bonus to any agency nurse that register and work with Nursing Personnel nursing agency. The bonus is payable after completion of 200 hundred hours of work.

Such is the demand for nurses across the UK Nursing Personnel are receiving hundreds for requests from NHS hospitals daily.

With a nationwide shortage of nurses and recently reported there are over 33.000 unfilled nursing posts across the UK, Nursing Personnel are offering the bonus to attract and encourage nurses to work with Nursing Personnel nursing agency.

Nursing Agency Demand

Nursing Personnel are seeing an increase in demand for nurses across the UK. Currently we are in the summer period which normally sees a reduction in demand due better weather conditions and less pressure on NHS hospitals.

Last winter saw some of the longest waiting periods in hospitals for patients and some of this was down to nursing staff shortages. Nursing Personnel are expecting this winter to be just as challenging for hospitals across the UK.

Nursing Agency Winter Pressure

With just over 8 weeks left before that start of winter pressures in NHS hospitals Nursing Personnel are recruiting nurses for agency nurses jobs across the UK. We are anticipating an even higher demand from NHS hospitals requesting agency nurses to help staff hospital wards. During the busy periods Nursing Personnel can receive over a thousand NHS requirements daily. As a result we can almost guarantee work and have requirements coming from hospitals all across the UK.

The £500 bonus we are hoping will help attract nurses to Nursing Personnel’s nursing agency as want to be rewarding nurses for working with us.

On top of the bonus we can offer exceptional pay rates with block bookings available. Assistance with accommodation can also be provided.

For more information on our £ 500 nurse bonus including the terms and conditions please click here.

Nursing Personnel nursing agency are an approved NHS framework nursing agency and receive requirements from NHS hospitals before any non -framework agency. If you are an agency nurse looking part time or full time nursing agency work please contact us on 033 3043 6779 or register on line by clicking here.

£90 Million NHS Bill for Negligence Alarming

£90 Million NHS Bill for Compensation

The BBC has reported that the NHS is Wales is paying huge sums in compensation dues to clinical negligence.The figures reported state that there were 643 claims from 2013 to 2014. The NHS bill paid was £60 million. However the NHS bill figure increased to 792 payments made totalling a staggering £ 91 million for the period 2017-2018.

Angela Burns Tory health spokesperson has called for a Welsh government inquiry.

The above payments will be funded by the taxpayer.  The Welsh Government has been asked to report on the above.

33,000 Empty Nurse Posts

One has to question how much of the compensation /NHS bill is due to the nursing and doctor shortages being widely reported across the media and by the RCN. In a recent report it was reported that there are over 33,000 vacant nursing jobs across the UK. With only a limited pool of agency nurses available to cover short term NHS nursing agency jobs, it is obvious that many hospitals must be very short staffed. The above sums paid out would go a long way in funding front line nursing and medical staff.

Hundreds of Agency Nurse Jobs Daily

Nursing Personnel receive hundreds of NHS agency nurse jobs daily. We are constantly recruiting nurses to cover agency shifts all across the UK. Nursing Personnel are also an approved NHS Framework agency meaning we receive requirements before any non- framework agency. We work with many hospitals to assist in covering short term and long term nursing vacancies.

Nursing Personnel have an abundance of agency work all across the UK. We receive thousands of jobs daily and can offer some of the most competitive rates in the market. If you are a nurse looking for agency nurse jobs anywhere in the UK please feel free to contact us on 033 3043 6779 or to register online click here.

HMRC Clamping Down on Umbrella Loan Schemes

HMRC are actively chasing contractors for tax on untaxed income. Some umbrella companies are offering nurses umbrella company loan schemes to increase take home pay.

Umbrella Company Loan Schemes Don’t Work

Some umbrella companies are paying contractors the minimum in salary and taxing this income as normal. However after the minimum payment is made to the contractor the umbrella company then is offering an interest free loan to the contractor to make up the rest of their salary.

An example: A contractor earns £ 1000 per week.

£200 is paid as normal and taxed as normal.

However the balance of £800 is then given to the contractor as an interest free loan, with no loan repayment contract or interest charged.

As a result the contractor is receiving £ 800 tax free. The umbrella company is charging a hefty fee for the arrangement.

HMRC have said on numerous occasions that these schemes don’t work and are clearly tax avoidance. Now HMRC are chasing contractors for the outstanding tax that was not paid on the disguised loan payments as they are deeming these payments as taxable. The latest spotlight statement issued by HMRC is available by clicking here

Agency Nurses Being Chased By HMRC

Thousands of contractors across the UK including doctors and nurses are receiving letters from the taxman with demand notices for thousands of pounds in unpaid tax. This has also been highlighted in the national press.

Any contractors that have been paid by umbrella company loan schemes are being advised to contact HMRC and notify them of the details. HMRC have stated that the tax on such schemes must be repaid by the 05^th of April 2019.

Nursing Personnel would advise any nurse NOT to engage in umbrella company loan schemes and if you’re are concerned about any of the above please contact us or contact your professional adviser.

With NHS price caps and the new IR35 rules nurses and healthcare workers are looking at all options to increase their take home pay. However HMRC have stated that untaxed loan schemes ( umbrella company loan schemes ) and off shore tax structures used to avoid tax will be chased by HMRC. This has been reported in the Daily Mail (click) here and The Telegraph(click) news papers and some workers are facing bankruptcy and this is now affecting their mental health. This is not deterring HMRC from aggressively chasing unpaid tax and NI. Loan schemes have also been highlighted on the BBC and Money box. To hear and see the report how HMRC are chasing tax on loans click here. Nursing Personnel would advise nurses and healthcare workers to avoid these schemes at all cost as this will end up costing workers a lot of hardship and pain once HMRC catch up with you. Oddly HMRC seem to be chasing the workers rather than the sellers and promoters of these schemes.

Agency Nurse Jobs

Nursing Personnel nurse agency have an abundance of nurse jobs across the UK in all nursing specialities. We can offer competitive pay rates in all locations.

Should any nurse require more information on any of the above please feel free to contact us or visit our web site by clicking here

NHS Nurses Pay Rate Increase Questioned

Many media sources including Sky News and the Independent are highlighting concern’s raised over the public sector pay cap. This has been well publicised including a substantial nurse pay rate rises being awarded to NHS workers. The public sector pay cap was put in place by the conservative party in 2010 for wages above £21,000.

This month substantive NHS nurses should receive a pay increase the first in almost 8 years.

Nurse Pay Rate Increases Questioned

Labour however are calling the Public Sector pay increases:

“ Nothing more than a PR stunt by the government”.  In real terms junior doctors and medics will get an increase of 2%, however if you take into account of inflation over the past 8 years, a 2% increase for medical staff would actually end up being a pay cut or decrease in salary.

Peter Dowd, shadow chief secretary to the Treasury said:

“Real wages in the public sector are lower today than they were in 2010”

Many nurses have taken to social media to express their disappointment at receiving a 35 pence nurse pay rate increase. One nurse was quoted saying “This pay deal will solve all our problems!!, I am completely underwhelmed at receiving my 35 pence increase. I will try not to spend it all at once!!”

RCN Questions Nurses Pay Deal

Questions are now being asked if this was the best pay deal possible. The Royal College of Nursing has stated the deal was very confusing and only a quarter of their members actually voted for the pay deal. Yesterday the RCN issued an apology, Janet Davies Chief Executive stated:

“Nurses will receive a 3% nurse pay increase and this would be backdated to April”. This statement has now been highlighted as incorrect.

The GMB recommended rejecting the pay deal and are now holding a consultation ballot on industrial action.

Nursing Personnel can offer agency nurses exceptional pay rates in numerous locations across the UK. We are seeing increase pay rates available due to nurse shortages and an increase in nursing agency demand.

As an approved NHS nursing agency Nursing Personnel have hundreds of available nurse jobs across the UK. To view all the available agency nurse jobs click here.

To find out more about our high pay rates please call our office on 033 3043 6779.