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Cambridge University Hospitals pushes for high living cost supplement for Addenbrooke’s and Rosie staff




Leaders at Cambridge University Hospitals say they are “pushing hard” for a high cost of living pay supplement for staff.

David Wherrett, the director of workforce at the Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, said the high cost of living in the city was a “real issue” and he was “particularly worried” about recruiting and keeping those in lower paid roles, who he described as “exceptionally important” to Addenbrooke’s and the Rosie hospitals.

Nurses at Cambridge University Hospitals have joined in national strikes over pay. Picture: Keith Heppell
Nurses at Cambridge University Hospitals have joined in national strikes over pay. Picture: Keith Heppell

At a board meeting on May 10, the trust set out some of the actions it has taken to help staff, including providing funding for a travel programme and making lower cost hot food available in the hospitals.

Mr Wherrett said these measures were “good investments”, but the issues of pay and costs were still impacting staff.

He said: “We know that pay and recognition are important. I was talking to one apprentice who said they had just finished their apprenticeship and loved every second of it, and were going to become a registered nurse with the trust.

“However, they said if they were working in Sheffield or Birmingham they would be thinking about buying a house, but in Cambridge they might at a push get their own studio flat to rent, but would probably have to stay living with their parents.

“That is a real issue and I continue to push hard for a high cost supplement here.”

The meeting was presented with the results of the annual staff survey which showed that fewer staff would recommend the trust as a place to work. The report said 61.7 per cent of staff would recommend the Trust as a place to work now, compared to 67.1 per cent the year before and 73.7 per cent the year before that.

Mr Wherrett said the survey had also shown that staff in minority groups had a “less positive” experience working at the trust.

He added that disabled staff were also reporting a worse experience through the survey, despite plans he said had been put in place by the trust for improvements.

Mr Wherrett said the trust was going to focus on listening to staff and would conduct a “deep dive” into finding out what it is not getting right for them.

He said: “Overall, it is a position which is a marked change from previous years. We have gone from being above average to being average in the experience of our staff.

“We are doing well around flexibility of work, learning, progression and the compassionate culture was referred to. There are things to celebrate, but there is also a considerable amount of jeopardy.”

The entrance to Addenbrooke's Hospital in Cambridge. Picture: Keith Heppell
The entrance to Addenbrooke's Hospital in Cambridge. Picture: Keith Heppell

Mr Wherrett said the trust would also keep “driving hard” at improving resourcing as he said having fully staffed shifts, enabling staff to leave on time and able to join education, would help “unlock” the solutions.

Chief executive Roland Sinker said: “The key point here is we are really trying to understand what our staff are telling us. We could argue that in the time period since the last survey we have done more to support staff.

“We are doing all we can to make staff feel safe and well, and supported, but that sits alongside the vacancy rate pressures, high volumes of care providing, and cost living pressures, which are particularly acute in Cambridge.

“So we are really trying to understand what staff are telling us and the next period we will be doing some focused listening. It is quite a complex and mixed picture.”



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