Nurses won't get extra pay for Royal Wedding day work (From Witney Gazette)

Nurses won't get extra pay for Royal Wedding day work

11:00am Monday 28th March 2011 in News By Amanda Williams

OXFORDSHIRE’S nurses due to work on the day of the Royal Wedding will get no extra pay, although some public servants will.

Nurses at Oxford’s John Radcliffe and Churchill hospitals, and the Horton in Banbury, have been told they will get a lieu day for working on April 29, when Prince William and Kate Middleton tie the knot. But they will get no extra cash for working on the day, which was declared a public bank holiday by the Government.

However, Oxford City Council workers, such as bin men, will receive time and two thirds and a day off in lieu if they are scheduled to work.

Oxfordshire County Council staff, including social workers, will be given double time and a day off in lieu. Thames Valley Police officers will also receive double time.

A worker at the JR last night said: “I understand the hospital can’t just shut down. But it is to all intents and purposes a bank holiday.

“We have been informed we will get a day’s extra holiday if we work, so basically a lieu day, but no extra money.”

The worker did not want to be named as staff can face disciplinary action for talking to the media.

They said: “We know the NHS is under a lot of pressure, but so are local councils, how have they found the money?”

Oxford Radcliffe Hospitals Trust spokesman Heather Barnett said: “While the trust is keen to allow staff to celebrate the occasion, there is an obvious need to balance this with the needs of our patients and our responsibility to maintain the normal running of our hospitals.

“It is likely many staff who are not required to work, will chose to take the day off on but those who don’t need to work can opt to have the day at another time.

“Managers will need to agree with their teams how many staff may take April 29 as annual leave without impacting on the normal running of services to patients.”

Ms Barnett added: “Individual NHS organisations are making their own arrangements. The majority of trusts are adopting the same approach as the ORH.

“When the announcement was made that there would be an extra bank holiday, many patients were already booked in for outpatient appointments, surgery and diagnostic tests. Rather than postponing these appointments the trust opted to run ‘business as usual’ as far as possible.”

The only people working for Cherwell District Council on April 29 will be refuse and recycling collectors who will receive an extra day’s pay.

South and Vale District Councils said refuse collectors would get a day off, but added pay deals were down to individual contractors.