NHS Professionals - Donor Carers and Nurse bank workers

NHS Professionals candidate checks

All NHSP workers need to have completed the following to enable them to continue working:

• NHSP Online Mandatory Training – 13 modules to complete which need to be completed.
• Completed Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) application form in full and provide relevant documents if requested. 
• Occupational Health – All required evidence provided as directed by NHSP

If your candidate is not appearing on the NHS Professionals system. Please ask them to contact NHS Professionals to confirm all the above have been completed. 

Undertaking Venepuncture (VP)

NHS Professionals (NHSP) Position:

NHSP workers are to be provided with Hep B vaccinations locally at our donor centres, if the individual has not already had the immunisation. 

This is very important in relation to progressing any NHSP workers onto VP training. No NHSP workers can commence VP training without receiving their first Hep B vaccination.

NHSP will provide details of who needs to be vaccinated to NHSBT Immunisation Programme. NHSP will hold all records after vaccination.  For further information refer to the Immunisation page.

Important - When the vaccinating nurse confirms the worker has had their first vaccination, the Donor Centre manager can start the worker on the venepuncture training.

For Cohort 1 (Tooting, Edgware and West End Donor Centre) & Cohort 2, venepuncture has not been specified as a requirement. However, if you feel that the worker has the skills to undertake venepuncture, and the worker is willing, we can start them on the training. Provided you have contacted NHSP OH regarding Hep B vaccinations.

For Cohort 3 (London pop ups and back fill) – they have been informed that venepuncture is a requirement both prior to interview and at interview. They should be fully aware and willing to undertake venepuncture. You will need to contact NHSP OH regarding Hep B vaccinations.

Booking shifts and approving timesheets

You will receive training in NHSP’s Our-bank system prior to your bank workers commencing at the Donor Clinic.  You don’t need to input any shifts for their training, prior to them commencing with you as these will be picked up by the training team as you will not be aware of the dates these have been worked.  The training is based on an average of 5 days work from 9 to 3. A screen shot of NHSP’s Our-bank homepage shows more information and the link can be found at NHSP Bank login page.

Note the following:- 

• Shifts need to be booked on in advance. As soon as you know your requirements, they need to be input on the system.      
• Where you have a worker that has agreed to work particular shifts, they can be put on as a Direct Booking.
• Once the worker has worked the shift you need to authorise this in a timely manner (timesheet is only visible after the end time of the request) ideally actioned daily (to avoid build up)
• It is important to note that after the timesheet has been authorised the worker, will then need time to release by the weekly cut-off (Sunday midnight),  for pay the following Friday. 
• Please Note - NHSP system users who also work bank shifts via NHSP should not be authorising their own Timesheets.

For more information about using Our-bank system refer to The User Guide for Our-bank.

Authorising Timesheets

It has been raised that it is difficult to authorise the timesheet as at close of play on Sunday.  Your worker will have been informed that weekend shifts may need to be authorised and paid in the next pay cycle.  NHSP recommend that you authorise all shifts as at close of play Friday and include the authorisation of weekend shifts for the week after.  Please speak to your NHSP worker to let them know if this is how you intend to undertake the approvals going forward. 

We are allowed additional systems users who will be able to access the system, input the shifts and authorise the timesheets. You will be contacted to ask for the names and email addresses for your deputies to be able to use the system.  If you require more colleagues to be added later please contact NHSP direct.

Workers Hours

All NHSP workers have been informed that they will be required on a full-time basis. Please ensure that they are rostered to work full-time unless you have mutually agreed for them to work less than full-time hours.

Issues with conduct or performance

If there are conduct or performance issues, go to NHS Professionals Feedback/Incident Form complete and submit online. Further guidance can be found on the Clinical Governance Assurance Complaints & Incidents Management document.

Claiming Expenses

• The worker would complete a paper based form which can be found on NHSP’s intranet - approved expenses form.
• You will then need to signed this as their designated manager
• This form will need to be sent by post to NHS Professionals, NHS SBS Southampton, 922 Team Waterside House Town Quay, Southampton SO14 2NH for processing for payment.

Please note – it is recommended that you keep a copy of these paper forms.

Taking Annual Leave

Annual leave is calculated as per NHS Professionals guidelines which are on the NHSP Paid leave FAQ's page.

When requesting annual leave, NHS professional colleagues also need to follow the NHSBT normal practice:

• You are advised to consider spreading your annual leave out across the time you are with NHSBT. This is to ensure that you feel the maximum benefit to your own well-being. As well as considering others within your location/department, and operational requirements.
• You will need to provide your manager with reasonable notice, considering operational requirements such as existing rostering or shift patterns.  At a minimum this should be two weeks before leave is taken
• Each department will have a robust local agreed procedure that ensures fairness and transparency for everyone.
• It will normally set out details such as ‘how many people may be off at any one time’ etc. Ask your manager about this.