Leaving the 'safe' NHS career
Discussion
I've worked my way up the ranks in my current post, currently at the top of Band 6, with the liklihood of a Band 7 promotion this year - although that will 'only' be worth an extra £100 a year before tax for two years....
I've been in my post for nearly 13 years. I've worked my way up from band 4 and completed an MSc along the way.
An opportunity has come up to work with a company that makes several of the devices I work with. One of the best known/regarded. The job is to be a clinical training manager, which would involve being on the management board, running a small training team, creating training content and running clinical training courses up and down the UK.
The salary would be roughly £60k, plus around £3-4k bonus a year. Company car/allowance.
The job is 'home based' but I will probably be away most weeks, visiting one or two sites.
My geographic location isn't ideal as I'm up in the North East of Scotland - which adds at least 2 and a half hours to get to Edinburgh/Glasgow for flights - Aberdeen Airport might be an option but the internal flights have been severely culled.
I've become a bit disalusioned with the NHS, especially over the COVID period.
The pro's of staying: I'm currently being trained in something new, so I have something fresh to concentrate on. My commute is only 20 minutes, I'm 'comfortable' but I do feel like I'm on autopilot a lot. I still find the job interesting. I earn a decent salary circa £41k currently, which will like rise to £43k taking into consideration a 5% pay rise. I also normally have a 3 day weekend, as I work my hours over 4 days.
Risk wise: It's highly unlikely I'd walk back into a similar role if the training job wasn't for me. Having spent nearly 13 years working my way up the ranks I feel like I could be 'throwing it all away'.
I really enjoy training new staff/students and to be able to do that as a job appeals to me.
Might be worth adding I have a mortgage, girlfriend (don't stay together), no kids and I'm 32.
I've been in my post for nearly 13 years. I've worked my way up from band 4 and completed an MSc along the way.
An opportunity has come up to work with a company that makes several of the devices I work with. One of the best known/regarded. The job is to be a clinical training manager, which would involve being on the management board, running a small training team, creating training content and running clinical training courses up and down the UK.
The salary would be roughly £60k, plus around £3-4k bonus a year. Company car/allowance.
The job is 'home based' but I will probably be away most weeks, visiting one or two sites.
My geographic location isn't ideal as I'm up in the North East of Scotland - which adds at least 2 and a half hours to get to Edinburgh/Glasgow for flights - Aberdeen Airport might be an option but the internal flights have been severely culled.
I've become a bit disalusioned with the NHS, especially over the COVID period.
The pro's of staying: I'm currently being trained in something new, so I have something fresh to concentrate on. My commute is only 20 minutes, I'm 'comfortable' but I do feel like I'm on autopilot a lot. I still find the job interesting. I earn a decent salary circa £41k currently, which will like rise to £43k taking into consideration a 5% pay rise. I also normally have a 3 day weekend, as I work my hours over 4 days.
Risk wise: It's highly unlikely I'd walk back into a similar role if the training job wasn't for me. Having spent nearly 13 years working my way up the ranks I feel like I could be 'throwing it all away'.
I really enjoy training new staff/students and to be able to do that as a job appeals to me.
Might be worth adding I have a mortgage, girlfriend (don't stay together), no kids and I'm 32.
Edited by babo456 on Thursday 14th July 02:19
Edited by babo456 on Thursday 14th July 02:21
Is this a statement or question? 
Tricky one, sounds like an unfulfilling role to me, from what I’ve seen of training positions. How long do you think you’d last till you realised you’re just saying the same thing a few hundred times a month with the same old jokes thrown in. Predictable and boring?
Tricky one, sounds like an unfulfilling role to me, from what I’ve seen of training positions. How long do you think you’d last till you realised you’re just saying the same thing a few hundred times a month with the same old jokes thrown in. Predictable and boring?
As Tonker says - Pension is a big factor.
But also, the travel - if you're away weekly - sounds gruesome. It'll get tiresome quickly.
Are you likely to have kids soon? Being around to help us important...it's a stressful period.
Can you relocate to somewhere more central? Is their a relocation allowance?
At your age, I'd generally go for job satisfaction as my no. 1 priority - you've got a lot of years left working.
But also, the travel - if you're away weekly - sounds gruesome. It'll get tiresome quickly.
Are you likely to have kids soon? Being around to help us important...it's a stressful period.
Can you relocate to somewhere more central? Is their a relocation allowance?
At your age, I'd generally go for job satisfaction as my no. 1 priority - you've got a lot of years left working.
If sounds a great opportunity & you have obviously done well where you are at too. However a couple of things I would raise & comment on .
V Big jump in salary, but it is right in the bracket that gets taxed very hard in Scotland due to tax band differences to rest UK . Over 43k is 41% tax & also 13.25 NI until 50K, (if you opt for a company car, this will also be taxable & reduce take home pay) so you could potentially “only” see half of increase in your take home (still a good chunk)
Work/life balance, From my perspective I did a travelling training role (not NHS though) for a couple of years & quite enjoyed it initially , but it can really take it out of you all the travel, & without consistent work colleagues around you it can become lonely. Currently your 4day week sounds good giving you plenty free time , would travel in a new role be within your “normal working hours”. I ended up travelling Sunday’s to be places on Mondays. (& I also opted to sometimes fly from Edinburgh than Aberdeen as although a couple of hours extra drive better flight times meant leaving home later on a Sunday). If your travel is U.K. based would it always be flights? Not being around or able to commit to things at weekends & evenings can put a strain on relationships, also “home life” jobs like paying bills, gardening, planning shopping etc get much trickier if you are not home all the time & eat into free time when you are.
I’ve sorry if I have been quite negative about your opportunity there are undoubtedly positives, more cash, responsibility, recognition, opportunities for further advances not limited by NHS structure & bureaucracy, I’m just trying to help you make a considered decision, pay jumps are usually because more is demanded of you & it’s worth trying to think hard about what that is & figure if it suits you. (In the NE we prob all know guys who get enticed offshore for money but a very different work life balance, some it suits & others it doesn’t.
V Big jump in salary, but it is right in the bracket that gets taxed very hard in Scotland due to tax band differences to rest UK . Over 43k is 41% tax & also 13.25 NI until 50K, (if you opt for a company car, this will also be taxable & reduce take home pay) so you could potentially “only” see half of increase in your take home (still a good chunk)
babo456 said:
Risk wise: It's highly unlikely I'd walk back into a similar role if the training job wasn't for me. Having spent nearly 13 years working my way up the ranks I feel like I could be 'throwing it all away'.
…
Might be worth adding I have a mortgage, girlfriend (don't stay together), no kids and I'm 32.
The risk thing, if you hadn’t said I would honestly have assumed folk would always be able to slot back into NHS somewhere, & my thoughts would’ve been “go for it, NHS is always a fall back”, …
Might be worth adding I have a mortgage, girlfriend (don't stay together), no kids and I'm 32.
Work/life balance, From my perspective I did a travelling training role (not NHS though) for a couple of years & quite enjoyed it initially , but it can really take it out of you all the travel, & without consistent work colleagues around you it can become lonely. Currently your 4day week sounds good giving you plenty free time , would travel in a new role be within your “normal working hours”. I ended up travelling Sunday’s to be places on Mondays. (& I also opted to sometimes fly from Edinburgh than Aberdeen as although a couple of hours extra drive better flight times meant leaving home later on a Sunday). If your travel is U.K. based would it always be flights? Not being around or able to commit to things at weekends & evenings can put a strain on relationships, also “home life” jobs like paying bills, gardening, planning shopping etc get much trickier if you are not home all the time & eat into free time when you are.
I’ve sorry if I have been quite negative about your opportunity there are undoubtedly positives, more cash, responsibility, recognition, opportunities for further advances not limited by NHS structure & bureaucracy, I’m just trying to help you make a considered decision, pay jumps are usually because more is demanded of you & it’s worth trying to think hard about what that is & figure if it suits you. (In the NE we prob all know guys who get enticed offshore for money but a very different work life balance, some it suits & others it doesn’t.
Edited by AndyAudi on Thursday 14th July 08:05
I work for a big company that provides lab and imaging solutions to the NHS. We have a LOT of ex NHS staff working for us. None of them that I have spoken to have any desire of going back.
If you really don’t like it after leaving I think it would be quite easy to get another role within the NHS as they are critically low on staffing.
If you really don’t like it after leaving I think it would be quite easy to get another role within the NHS as they are critically low on staffing.
Sick leave will be significantly better in the NHS. Union support? Extra holiday? Flexible days off when required? Pension must be infinitely better? If you have kids you’ll also lose your child benefit payment at £60k so that’s quite a chunk.
I travel two hours once a month to get to the airport to go to work and even that’s soul destroying. Potentially twice a week would be dreadful. And travelling away for work in domestic UK is miserable - in the winter it’s grim and in the summer you’ll wish you were at home in the pub with your mates.
Don’t do it!
I travel two hours once a month to get to the airport to go to work and even that’s soul destroying. Potentially twice a week would be dreadful. And travelling away for work in domestic UK is miserable - in the winter it’s grim and in the summer you’ll wish you were at home in the pub with your mates.
Don’t do it!
Badda said:
Is this a statement or question?
Tricky one, sounds like an unfulfilling role to me, from what I’ve seen of training positions. How long do you think you’d last till you realised you’re just saying the same thing a few hundred times a month with the same old jokes thrown in. Predictable and boring?
Yes longevity had crossed my mind. I have a career in the NHS that is still stimulating. Does the new post get old after a few years, then what!? Tricky one, sounds like an unfulfilling role to me, from what I’ve seen of training positions. How long do you think you’d last till you realised you’re just saying the same thing a few hundred times a month with the same old jokes thrown in. Predictable and boring?
Travel wise perhaps I'm being somewhat niave. It's probably fine and enjoyable for the first few months but potentially gets grating there after.
I'd always wanted to move more centrally but opportunities never really came up and I bought a house in October last year. I've had 3 opportunities since then!... Sods law.
Pension wise the NHS is miles better I'd assume. I pay 9.6% per month (which is going to increase to 10.7%) and the NHS pays in about 20%.
I know we can't speculate on the future but I do wonder if the NHS pension will still be there when I can access it at 87 years old.....
Salary wise on paper it's about £20k extra a year but as per above by time tax, NI, car taken into consideration it's about an extra £10k.
Works out at just shy of an extra grand a month.
Which is not to be sniffed at but if I effectively end up doing 70 hour weeks due to travel etc then not so much!
I'd always wanted to move more centrally but opportunities never really came up and I bought a house in October last year. I've had 3 opportunities since then!... Sods law.
Pension wise the NHS is miles better I'd assume. I pay 9.6% per month (which is going to increase to 10.7%) and the NHS pays in about 20%.
I know we can't speculate on the future but I do wonder if the NHS pension will still be there when I can access it at 87 years old.....
Salary wise on paper it's about £20k extra a year but as per above by time tax, NI, car taken into consideration it's about an extra £10k.
Works out at just shy of an extra grand a month.
Which is not to be sniffed at but if I effectively end up doing 70 hour weeks due to travel etc then not so much!
You’re 32, now is the time to put the effort / graft in, you won’t be able to at 50.
I did it at 25 (moved to Germany, global travel every week), now I commute from N Wales to N Devon for an opportunity that will essentially change my life, for just 2 years.
Play the long game, it may even be earning neutral today but where will you be in the NHS in 5 years Vs 5 years private …
I did it at 25 (moved to Germany, global travel every week), now I commute from N Wales to N Devon for an opportunity that will essentially change my life, for just 2 years.
Play the long game, it may even be earning neutral today but where will you be in the NHS in 5 years Vs 5 years private …
Interesting about people keen to leave the NHS or not wanting to go back. The role one of my daughters does (adult mental health) was flogged off to some random 3rd party, but still on NHS T's & C's as long as they don't change role.
Loads of staff left as they don't want to work for some random 3rd party, they want to work for (and "in") the NHS. Daughter has somehow been able to retain her NHS email address - I think losing that might have tipped her over the edge.
I recall something very similar many years ago when we (an electronics company) took on an NHS electronics technician to work in technical sales. A way better paid role, company car etc. He left after a few months to go back to the NHS as he felt he was doing something worthwhile there.
Loads of staff left as they don't want to work for some random 3rd party, they want to work for (and "in") the NHS. Daughter has somehow been able to retain her NHS email address - I think losing that might have tipped her over the edge.
I recall something very similar many years ago when we (an electronics company) took on an NHS electronics technician to work in technical sales. A way better paid role, company car etc. He left after a few months to go back to the NHS as he felt he was doing something worthwhile there.
babo456 said:
Travel wise perhaps I'm being somewhat niave. It's probably fine and enjoyable for the first few months but potentially gets grating there after.
I'd always wanted to move more centrally but opportunities never really came up and I bought a house in October last year. I've had 3 opportunities since then!... Sods law.
Pension wise the NHS is miles better I'd assume. I pay 9.6% per month (which is going to increase to 10.7%) and the NHS pays in about 20%.
I know we can't speculate on the future but I do wonder if the NHS pension will still be there when I can access it at 87 years old.....
Salary wise on paper it's about £20k extra a year but as per above by time tax, NI, car taken into consideration it's about an extra £10k.
Works out at just shy of an extra grand a month.
Which is not to be sniffed at but if I effectively end up doing 70 hour weeks due to travel etc then not so much!
Not sure how many years you’ve done, Maybe 10 ? 33 days holiday and 10 years of pension.I'd always wanted to move more centrally but opportunities never really came up and I bought a house in October last year. I've had 3 opportunities since then!... Sods law.
Pension wise the NHS is miles better I'd assume. I pay 9.6% per month (which is going to increase to 10.7%) and the NHS pays in about 20%.
I know we can't speculate on the future but I do wonder if the NHS pension will still be there when I can access it at 87 years old.....
Salary wise on paper it's about £20k extra a year but as per above by time tax, NI, car taken into consideration it's about an extra £10k.
Works out at just shy of an extra grand a month.
Which is not to be sniffed at but if I effectively end up doing 70 hour weeks due to travel etc then not so much!
Saying about the Pension they have changed it 3 times now since 2007 and raised it by 5 years. It’ll change again to pay for all those in the 95 scheme who have retired early or after 40 years and have come back.
I’ve done 22 years so really embedded. Spoke to a friend who left the same job I had 15 years back now and they have progressed. I look around my department and there’s no internal promotions past a band 7. There’s a barrage of over 50’s in the Senior Manager roles and no one is getting given the opportunity to develop. It’s still very much a job for the boys network.
Next years going to be a s
t show in the NHS. Already Capitals gone to ICB to decide who gets what, Budgets will be cut next year but there’s going to be an expectation to deliver more, backlogs ain’t clearing as fast as they want as Covid keeps fighting back. Private sector companies are hoovering up services and staff are leaving cause they are better off working when they want for Agency.As you said Pensions going up again, That’s about 4% extra now from not that many years ago.
I left the NHS just under 10 years ago instead of starting to get ready for consultant jobs after 8 years as a reg in my specialty.
The NHS pension has been savaged several times already and is about to be ripped into again. Don't put any faith into it at all. I still have a pot in the '95 section but only because I can't move it out. It's crap.
Your pay progression within the NHS is very limited, in the industry, the sky's your limit. Work hard, prove your worth, and you'll be rewarded both with promotions and with pay progression within the role.
Most companies will also pay for your professional memberships and indemnities, so for me it usually includes GMC, Royal College of Surgeons of England, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Medicine, Biochemical Society etc. These often add up to a significant amount.
You'd usually get additional benefits such as private health insurance. Trust me, it's worth every penny. In the last few years, I've needed multiple MRIs, a lot of physiotherapy and lots of intervention. If left to the non-existent NHS physio services alone, I may not have been able to type this message as it's quite likely that the function of my arms and hands may not have returned following paralysis.
NHS is a monopoly employer and it's the same st everywhere. The private sector is very different. If you don't enjoy yourself in one company, you can always find yourself a position with another. If you have skills and the willingness to work, you'll never be out of a job, and you'll be treated with a level of respect, dignity and fairness that simply doesn't exist in the NHS. That alone makes it worth moving across for the same pay let alone for a 20k rise (plus bonus, plus car, plus other benefits - don't forget that you might be paying tax on the company car, but you won't need to be paying tax or insurance on a car yourself so you can effectively make it cost neutral, or even profitable if you can choose an electric or hybrid car).
The NHS pension has been savaged several times already and is about to be ripped into again. Don't put any faith into it at all. I still have a pot in the '95 section but only because I can't move it out. It's crap.
Your pay progression within the NHS is very limited, in the industry, the sky's your limit. Work hard, prove your worth, and you'll be rewarded both with promotions and with pay progression within the role.
Most companies will also pay for your professional memberships and indemnities, so for me it usually includes GMC, Royal College of Surgeons of England, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Medicine, Biochemical Society etc. These often add up to a significant amount.
You'd usually get additional benefits such as private health insurance. Trust me, it's worth every penny. In the last few years, I've needed multiple MRIs, a lot of physiotherapy and lots of intervention. If left to the non-existent NHS physio services alone, I may not have been able to type this message as it's quite likely that the function of my arms and hands may not have returned following paralysis.
NHS is a monopoly employer and it's the same s
t everywhere. The private sector is very different. If you don't enjoy yourself in one company, you can always find yourself a position with another. If you have skills and the willingness to work, you'll never be out of a job, and you'll be treated with a level of respect, dignity and fairness that simply doesn't exist in the NHS. That alone makes it worth moving across for the same pay let alone for a 20k rise (plus bonus, plus car, plus other benefits - don't forget that you might be paying tax on the company car, but you won't need to be paying tax or insurance on a car yourself so you can effectively make it cost neutral, or even profitable if you can choose an electric or hybrid car).Gassing Station | Jobs & Employment Matters | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff