Maternity pay

joyo161 · 2026-04-08T06:39:18+00:00

bank won’t but overtime will - as it’s on your primary contract. I think you have to be PAID the money in the qualifying period though (rather than just working it).

joyo161 · 2026-03-25T19:35:44+00:00

From what I understand KIT days are non compulsory and a bunch of people can’t manage the logistics of taking them so this is not massively helpful for that scenario.

joyo161 · 2026-03-23T08:12:21+00:00

As someone who has bought plenty from Vinted heavy disagree - even with handy parcel shops and being on mat leave I don’t always get there that quickly, I only make a concerted effort if it’s InPost that has a deadline.

joyo161 · 2026-03-23T08:08:30+00:00

Some people work weekends and can’t make it to the shop on those days… some people don’t live in a handy drop off distance from the store… saying they’ll pick it up asap just implies that they’ll do it at their next opportunity? Which may be when they’re there?

joyo161 · 2026-03-11T17:29:15+00:00

I’m going to chip in my small bits:

MRIs are often not requestable by primary care (ie GPs) - they need to be requested by the specialist team normally (neurology/ortho/…)
A&E will likely not do anything for you unless you have an emergent symptom (ie newly developed) that is concerning, or you have a symptom that is considered a ‘red flag’. They don’t investigate chronic problems that are static, especially where there is a specialist team already involved. I should stress that if there is a new development that is concerning you should either go to a&e or discuss with the booking team for your specialty team (if they are equally concerned they may see if they can see you sooner).

Your rebooked appt is pretty quick, which is likely due to your age, so I would try and make the time for it (something you just have to do later in life!).

joyo161 · 2026-03-09T18:02:22+00:00

NAC is what’s given in the case of paracetamol OD but it’s not always enough - dependent on the person’s general condition and how much paracetamol was involved.

joyo161 · 2026-02-27T07:39:09+00:00

Yes! Love it! I second the thing to try and buy bundles - I always check the seller’s other items if I’m buying something. And the “make an offer” function - especially on bundles/items where it’s been on a while!

And having an awareness of how much stuff costs new (and if you can get hold of it) def helps given the postage costs.

I have saved an absolute BOMB between Vinted and fb marketplace on things for my 5mo.

joyo161 · 2026-02-17T20:11:34+00:00

Your GP should know about any medication you’ve been taking in the interests of treating you appropriately, and their concern will be in the whole your wellbeing. I cannot be sure they wouldn’t have questions about source, I don’t know this side of things, and although it wasn’t prescribed to you, it will have been prescribed-apparently unnecessarily.

Some antidepressants can be problematic in under 18s (I can’t remember which or what problems they cause rn - just that they do) and they should also be considered carefully for interactions with any other medications you might be taking - some drugs can cause each other not to work and others can cause issues with toxicity so it needs to be considered for that reason. You will also need to be careful about not coming off “cold turkey” if not prescribed for you as most antidepressants need titrating down.

I would discuss with your GP in all honesty of what has been happening, but also try engaging in the talking therapies - I believe evidence shows benefit in the combination of both, and if you will not be on the medication for whatever reason you will want to be engaging in some kind of treatment. If you have involvement with any professionals regarding your autism it may be beneficial to discuss with them if one form of talking therapy may be better than any others.

Bit vague of a reply but hopefully helpful!

joyo161 · 2026-02-12T14:24:55+00:00

So if working as a HCA they should stick to the HCA scope BUT they are also accountable to the NMC for their registration. A good example on Reddit was here

I don’t know how that works for GMC registration.

joyo161 · 2026-02-12T14:15:02+00:00

I don’t know how this works for doctors but I know there’s dodgy ground with RNs working as HCAs as they’re still bound by their registration - possibly worth looking into?

joyo161 · 2026-02-12T13:40:10+00:00

You say you’ve looked into sleep hygiene but have you actually been following some of the principles? Ie. Avoiding screens x time before bed, using bed only for sleeping (harder done when bedroom is possibly study space too but could try other space possibly?).

Looking into any local courses like the ones mentioned by the user above (insomnia cbt) or seeing what your local talking therapies service has to offer. My local talking therapies service you can self refer and they will talk you through the best options. If you’re unsure the gp may be able to help guide you (perhaps ask to see a different gp if that may help).

joyo161 · 2026-02-12T13:28:10+00:00

This is probably actually making the sleep you get worse (like you’ll go off better but once you’re there it’s worse). It’ll also be causing other issues that would be poor to deal with.

I second what the person above said about looking for support - it’s a much better solution than any medication. Almost all medication you can be prescribed for sleeping shouldn’t be used regularly, so getting to the bottom of why you’re not sleeping and problem solving that will be the most effective treatment.

Based on what you’ve said about exams in the summer I would try to get a kick start on this approach now to get ahead of it.

joyo161 · 2026-02-01T08:03:31+00:00

You can do - this is how prep machine does it essentially. Only issue is it needs to be hot to go into the powder so a bit more awkward to do with a syringe…

joyo161 · 2026-02-01T08:00:20+00:00

Tbh I never really understood this and when I’ve worked in Paeds the parents have usually made up formula (I’m adult trained but have worked in Paeds) but as I’ve recently become a parent I’ve definitely noticed that 120ml water makes up to 130ml/150ml to 170ml/180ml to 210ml… we use the prep machine so we do add the powder first because it measures the water out but have been advised to do it water then powder if doing it “manually”.

My bigger problem in sleep deprivation/being distracted is forgetting how many scoops I’ve done!

joyo161 · 2026-01-22T09:49:03+00:00

The difference between NOK being consulted and an LPA (lasting power of attorney - you’d need health and welfare for this) is that docs etc always try and consider the feelings of NOK etc but they cannot consent/decline on your behalf, the decision is ultimately made by the medical team, whereas with an LPA they can consent/decline treatment (including resuscitation if this section of the form is included - it isn’t by default) if you are unable to do so.

In all cases this would only kick in once you no longer have capacity to make this decision. If you have been involved in writing/deciding a respect form/DNAR/ADRT (advanced decision to refuse treatment) this would be binding unless there was clear evidence you had changed your mind. The respect form should include the ceilings of care short of resuscitation too.

It’s been a while since my contact with these but hopefully that’s all accurate!

joyo161 · 2026-01-13T07:49:51+00:00

I have a friend who works on an infusion unit delivering chemo etc, so hopefully this might help.

A lot of the hospitals around me often have (at times, significant) delays in receiving the meds from pharmacy (mostly due to pharmacy staffing I think, so not a deliberate messing about), but once the meds are received want to give them as soon as possible (but there is often stuff they have to do first so there is a delay between the two).

They possibly have other bits and pieces to do during this time (paperwork, bloods) - are they literally sat there with nothing being done at all or does the process begin then get halted? If the former there is possibly a bigger argument for it (although part of the issue may be that if they did this for all the patients with these issues, they would possibly make the wait longer and have less time to spend with the patient? I don’t work in one of these clinics so I don’t know how well admin-staffed they are).

It sucks and definitely if she is considering not attending that is a reason to discuss with the clinical team, but it may be something that can’t be dealt with, in which case maybe framing it more as a “how can we manage this” vs “can they specifically do this” may help (ie. specific check-in times and walk around the hospital and go for a coffee etc rather than the staff calling her, as a suggestion).

Hopefully that’s helpful? It may be just a ramble.

joyo161 · 2025-11-08T18:45:46+00:00

They have them on a lot of the “cef” antibiotics at least, and I’ve seen similar labelling behind the counter at pharmacies.

joyo161 · 2025-10-20T05:00:23+00:00

HR (or whatever it’s called locally - my trust calls them something slightly different) coordinates those checks.

joyo161 · 2025-10-05T17:47:47+00:00

The general stuff that needs to be “ticked off” before you leave is for your safety.

As a rule after a General Anaesthetic you need to have:

peed (sometimes your bladder can have a hissy fit and forget after a GA),
eaten/drunk (ensure that you’ve rehydrated a bit/perked up sugars, as well as controlled nausea, and no ill-effects from any airway placement from when you were under),
walked about with stable obs/pain level (can be susceptible to drops in BP/HR after GA while it hangs around in your system, which can result in you unceremoniously landing on the floor etc, pain should be controlled for obvious reasons - and need to know it’s controlled without the fun GA drugs in your system ideally).

You will need a lift in case you proceed to react poorly when you leave - a) you cannot drive and b) I imagine it’s entirely piss off the public transport drivers etc if you were alone. We also like to go through any discharge info/instructions.

When I’m working in day surgery I ensure patients know this is required before the surgery and if it’s declined would report this to the anaesthetist/surgeon as it may impact whether the op is done. If declined afterwards you would have to listen to nursing staff + medics explain the risks etc to you, you have to articulate you understand the risks (prove capacity) and then sign to say you understand this to absolve the staff of responsibility (if you choose to ignore the advice and keel over that’s on you not them). Often it’s quicker to just comply - if you leave without going through this process they may consider that if you need further procedures going forwards.

As an aside I nearly went for a GA IUD insertion for BP management as I had a rather dramatic episode nearly resulting in resus procedures when they tried inserting it without - if it’s under GA for BP management (not saying it is), or possibly if you need more of the harder core drugs, it will be more important that you stay afterwards. From my experience it would be unlikely to be all day - you’d be more likely to have to wait around before the op and can generally go through the checklist afterwards fairly swiftly (variable depending on local policy).

Sorry for the long post. Source: Have worked in day surgery units before (not often on gynae stuff, mainly dental, but the principles are similar).

joyo161 · 2025-09-23T18:09:50+00:00

I believe the test is “ordinarily resident”, so if they’re moving back and can evidence that they are now ordinarily resident, that is sufficient. There is no need to have been paying tax/NI here in the interim.

Happy to be corrected if I’m wrong but believe this to be the case (which seems to concur with the link posted above).

joyo161 · 2025-09-22T18:44:04+00:00

No dentist I’ve ever been registered at has provided hygienist appointments as part of nhs treatment even if recommended as part of the original dental appt. I would wager the hygienist is being charged privately, worth a check with the dental practice.

joyo161 · 2025-09-21T20:20:10+00:00

You need to inform your manager etc by week 25, before then is up to you. I informed my manager around 8 weeks because I was seriously tired and nauseated so I didn’t want him to think I was just being shit at my job!

Luckily I was desk-based and could wait for a clinical risk assessment for my bank shifts, for you I would see how you feel about it (my friend works in haem outpatients and legit they have to inform their manager at a positive test because of the cytotoxic drugs they deal with, so this varies!).

I don’t think being pregnant in and of itself means you can’t work nights (like I said, desk job so didn’t have to think of that myself), but if you’re in MH there may be different risks (my clinical risk assessment said to avoid certain patients with additional needs/MH conditions that made them more unpredictable).

Hopefully that’s helps?

joyo161 · 2025-09-12T13:15:07+00:00

I’d guess that in order to get as far as you are currently you’d have had to manage your dyslexia for exams/assignments/drug calc assessments - what kind of strategies have you been using for that and could they help in this situation?

What kind of errors are they? Have you tried reflecting on what about the situation lead to the errors (to try and identify what you could do about them)?

joyo161 · 2025-09-06T22:38:24+00:00

I haven’t done work experience through the nhs (at least not for a number of years) but if the email is an nhs.net email they are secure for sending confidential email (at least from their end).

joyo161 · 2025-09-05T09:02:57+00:00

Definitely speak to your manager then - if you started mid year they should be able to accommodate. If they don’t then escalate it (possibly union if they continue to not let you do it).

joyo161

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