Angry NHS nurses left furious at losing paid breaks

NHS staff at the RUH are furious after being stripped of paid lunch breaks – while their CEO received a £25,000 pay rise. Staff at the Royal United Hospital in Bath say they felt a “big slap in the face” after being informed anyone who works 12-hour shifts or longer will lose their paid break.

Those affected were told this was a measure taken to “bring the RUH in line with many other NHS organisations”. But the move has been branded a pay cut by angry nurses. The news came as even more of a shock after the RUH’s most recent annual report, for 2022-23, revealed the CEO received a £25-30,000 salary increase.

One staff member, who wished to remain anonymous, said it has been seen among employees as “basically a pay cut”. The nurse said: “Everyone does feel really let down. It feels like a big slap in the face - during Covid we all worked our socks off.

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“Nursing is different now, we have a lot more responsibility than nurses used to and we need our breaks. The wards are so short-staffed we often don’t get our breaks anyway. Or if we do we spend them writing up our notes.”

At present on shifts of 12 hours or more, staff are entitled to one paid 30-minute break, and one further unpaid 30-minute break. The proposal would mean both are unpaid. Those affected were notified of the proposed plan in March and a consultation saw more than 770 staff members share feedback. Responses highlighted that the change would damage their work-life balance, would make childcare more difficult, and would likely lead to staff burn-out. Yet on May 23, a letter was issued confirming the changes would be implemented.

The letter read: “Having listened to and considered all of the feedback provided very carefully we have decided to implement the changes proposed within the consultation paper. Therefore, we will be removing the 30-minute discretionary paid break from all shifts of 12 (or more) hours, to align with other systems and regional trusts, create equity across RUH and support the trust’s financial sustainability.”

Despite this, RUH chief executive Cara Charles-Barks saw her “salary and fees” rise from £195,000 to at least £220,000 between 2022 and 2023.

Another employee said: “There’s so much emphasis on trying to get the RUH out of debt – the wards are already dangerously short-staffed some days. We’re the people at the bottom and then the executives are on these large figures. I will have to work an extra shift because I can’t afford to be paid for half an hour less each shift; my arm has been twisted.”

Trade union Unison was consulted about the proposed change and said they “do not agree with the proposal”, in an email to the trust. Reflecting on the change, which is due to come into effect in September, an RUH employee said: “Legally they’re not doing anything wrong but it feels quite scandalous.”

An RUH spokesperson said: “At present, RUH staff working a 12-hour shift or longer receive a 30-minute paid break and a 30-minute unpaid break.Making this change from September – maintaining the equivalent of a one-hour break, which will be unpaid - will bring the RUH into alignment with other NHS trusts across the country, and into alignment with the NHS Terms and Conditions of Service.

“This will also be more equitable for RUH staff who work shorter shifts, which do not include paid breaks. Paid breaks were introduced during a time when the RUH had staff shortages within nursing.

“However, we have increased our nursing staffing levels over the past two years, with an additional 200 full-time equivalent nurses in post across our wards and in the Emergency Department.”

Regarding the CEO pay, the spokesperson said: “At the RUH we are very careful to follow all NHS England guidance when agreeing any changes to salary for all those on very senior manager terms and conditions.”