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Accommodation and catering |
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Compulsory resident practitioners A doctor who is required, whether as a condition of their appointment, or statutorily, to reside in a hospital shall be provided with free accommodation. However, the doctor may decide to occupy alternative accommodation which the employer would otherwise provide. The rent for the accommodation is abated up to the cost of the accommodation which would otherwise have been provided.
Voluntary resident practitioners The lodging charges for voluntarily resident SHO’s are a matter for local negotiation within each Trust. There is no longer an upper limit for lodging charges negotiated with the Department of Health, the rate being agreed instead within each Trust.
NHS employers are advised to seek a professional assessment of the rent their accommodation would be likely to command in the open market. Lodging charges for new accommodation will be determined by local negotiation and agreement to reflect the standard of accommodation provided and notional market value.
It is for employers to decide when to implement increases in rent although they must comply with relevant legislation, including Housing Act of 1998.
Overnight accommodation when on-call No charge should be made for on-call accommodation for SHO’s required to stay overnight in the hospital as part of an on-call rota or shift system.
Inadequate standard of accommodation Charges made for accommodation should reflect the standard and amenities provided. Should trust provide sub-standard accommodation the following penalties will apply.
Standards falling below the minimum safety standards– accommodation must be closed immediately and alternative arrangement made by the Trusts.
Standards falling below the minimum stipulated. Accommodation must be free until improvements are completed (within an agreed timescale) and training posts should be advertised accordingly. Self-contained accommodation The provision of self-contained and married accommodation varies from hospital to hospital. There is no requirement for employers to provide this accommodation and where such accommodation is provided the quality tends to vary. SHO’s requiring married accommodation should check before taking up the post that such accommodation will be available.
Rent rebates Married SHO’s who occupy NHS accommodation on a rental basis because they are required to be resident are eligible to receive abatements of up to 25% of assessed rent and up to 50% if both husband and wife are compulsorily resident. This includes a further abatement of 10% above what is offered to other staff in recognition of the fact that no charge is made for lodging in they case of a doctor occupying single hospital accommodation where residence is a condition of appointment.
The rent of a house or flat occupied by a doctor who is appointment for 1 year or less should not be revised during the term of the appointment and any revision of the rent following a review should be deferred until the end of the tenure in such cases.
On-call rooms Trusts need to have sufficient numbers of rooms for all on-call or partial shift SHO’s, whether this be during all or part of any particular night on duty. In addition to this, all on-call rooms should be of the same standard as residential accommodation and all married accommodation should be of the same standard as single accommodation. The on-call rooms should be a separate unit away from clinical areas, though at a maximum of between 5 and 10 minutes walking distance form the relevant wards. The rooms must not be built next to power plants or goods delivery areas, or other areas that could disturb occupants rest.
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NHS employers should provide accommodation for certain groups of staff including those in training, those in duties require them to be resident and staff who cannot find suitable accommodation. Both single and married accommodation will be subject to its availability. |
