One NHS trust in the region has taken the surprise decision to buck a national trend and pay some bank staff a bonus, despite having no obligation to do so.
This will see the Northumbria Healthcare NHS Trust pay a lump sum to bank staff who work regular shifts. This comes following the NHS pay deal agreed by the Government and healthcare unions earlier this year.
That deal saw a lump sum bonus awarded to regular contracted staff - but this does not apply to bank staff, who tend to be employed on a zero-hours contract through a different employing entity. Despite this, the Northumbria trust which runs hospitals around Northumberland and North Tyneside, has decided in collaboration with UNISON to award a lump sum payment to certain staff who "work very regular shifts but in a more flexible way",
