Hub Extra 30 October

HUB extra!

30 October 2020

This Hub gives an update on the current levels of income, further responses to cost reduction
suggestions and news of the consultation.

Income
The Emergency Appeal stands at £214,767 this morning – but is likely to go over £250k today as income received
in the office has not yet been added and we banked over £34k this week.

Retail income saw its highest total in the week to 24 October. The underlying position increased to £68,507
against our target of £68,750.

Cease printing patient details sheet for MDT
Already being implemented

Turn heating off in Summer and at night
Should be doing this already

Review agency staff costs
We can only review our use of agency staff – not the charges themselves. We only use
agency staff when we cannot use our own staff, no bank staff are available, and staffing
levels would not be safe for our patients.

Review types of patient meals provided Agreed

Reduce menu options to reduce wastage and stock that is stored Agreed

Use cheaper printer cartridges Agreed

Reduce sessional counselling rate to £25 per session Agreed

Sessional counsellor not to charge for missed counselling sessions if already at the hospice
Not agreed. Counsellors will have booked the time in their diaries and committed their time to the hospice and
would not have to time to arrange an alternative session.

Review G4S cash collections
It has been agreed to review these, but there are a number of issues to consider: security of cash, safety of
staff/volunteers, costs of banking cash ourselves.

Reverse this year’s pay awards
This was not agreed. It would be very complex to agree this with each member of staff and could not be
implemented for those staff who would fall below the minimum wage. Further, it would disproportionately
disadvantage lower paid staff.

Staff pay towards their own uniform
This will be reviewed, but we would not do this for personal protective equipment. We might consider
continuing to provide one uniform but not the second. We also need to ascertain the potential savings and the
complexity of implementing this in a fair way.

Staff could give some of their hours for free
We will not be pursuing this. We are well aware that many staff work more than their contracted hours without
claiming extra duty payments, for which we are very grateful. Further, such a proposal would not be
enforceable.

Use medication waste boxes for medication only not packaging
Passed to the Director of Care and Ward Manager

Reduce mileage rates
It is possible for staff to claim part of the difference between HMRC rates and the mileage rates paid by the
hospice on their self-assessment tax returns. At present we pay below the HMRC rates. We are concerned,
however, that this will have a disproportionate impact on lower wage staff and volunteer drivers.
We are therefore going to defer consideration of this suggestion.

Thank you to everyone who has provided suggestions.
[email protected]

Consultation

Four staff suggestions have been put forward for further consultation, these are:
1. To reduce non clinical full-time contracts to 35 hours.
2. To no longer provide free tea and coffee.
3. To no longer pay the first part of the contribution to the health scheme – although seek to allow

staff to make this contribution if they wish to continue in the scheme.
4. To no longer pay the first three days of sickness.

(Please see consultation document over leaf)

Consultation Proposals For All Staff

Introduction

Set out below are suggestions made by staff in response to the consultation. These were discussed at the
Staff Forum 28th October. Consultation will close via staff representatives at the Staff Forum 11th November or
via the Consultation20 e-mail address by 15th November.

1. Except for care adopt a 35 hour working week
This proposal is being considered for all staff except those providing services directly to patients and their
families.

The proposal would reduce full-time contracted hours from 37.50 to 35, which will reduce full-time salaries.
This may also be applied on a pro-rata to part-time positions.

We are seeking staff views about this proposal and the implications for each shop or department, including
views on part-time contract staff.

Where staff have offered to reduce hours already, these would be incorporated (where appropriate and agreed)
into the reduced working week. For example someone who has offered or agreed to reduce their hours by 7.5
hours would not be expected to reduce by further 2.5 hours.
Whilst difficult to assess, based on September’s payroll our annual payroll costs are over £5.1m and the
estimated saving would be over £110k.

2. Stop offering free tea and coffee
After an earlier consultation it was agreed to retain current arrangements. It is now proposed that we should
ask all staff to bring in their own refreshments or to contribute to their tea and coffee. Estimated savings would
be £8,000

3. UK Healthcare
At present we pay an initial sum of £52 per annum per person towards the UK Healthcare scheme. Our
proposal is to stop this payment. If employees wish to remain in the scheme we would discuss this with UK
Healthcare. We would save around £7,500 per annum.

4. Occupational sick pay
It has been extremely noticeable that when we introduced the furlough scheme sickness and absence levels fell
dramatically. They rose again after returning from furlough. Since opening up the consultation and including
attendance records as a criterion for selection, sickness rates have again fallen.

We therefore propose to alter the occupational sick pay scheme to no longer pay the first three days of any
period of sickness. The remaining sick pay entitlements will be retained. Staff were unavailable for work for a
total of 3,520 days in 2019/20, of which 937 were within the first three days, of which we paid 695 at an
estimated cost of £37,000.

Keep up to date with www.khhospice.org.uk/content/staff-information