There’s much excitement in our practice this week. The buzz is reaching fever pitch.
What are we going to spend our 3% increase on? That’s if we do get it, of course!
On average, for reception staff across practices, this will equate to under £2.00 per day. The staff have been talking about what this could get them today, if general practice qualifies.
A flat white at Costa?
Oh no, sorry – that’s £2.40.
A chicken club sandwich from Tesco?
Oh no, oops – that’s £2.75.
A strawberry smoothie from Marks?
Ah, hmm. Nope. That’d be £2.50.
A multipack of Kit-Kats for the team?
Oh dear. That’d be £2.30.
A bunch of lilies for myself?
Unfortunately, they’re £5.00.
OK, maybe not a treat then; what could we buy that we need? Something practical…
All-in-one dishwasher tablets? £3.00.
Toilet roll? £2.95.
Non-bio washing powder (the smallest box)? £2.50.
No, no, no!
Could really do with something to help with this heat…
Sun cream? £4.00.
Sun hat? £3.00.
Mini fan? £13.99.
Nooooooooooooooo!
I know, let’s pop for a drink after work…
Cider – £3.65.
Vodka and Coke – £3.95.
Budweiser – £4.35.
🙁
Maybe something for the dog instead?
Dog biscuits – £3.75.
Chew treats – £2.75.
Nope. Sorry, Lotty, no treats for you.
Let’s get something for the kids perhaps?
Nappies – £7.00.
Formula – £8.75.
Big NO!
It’s a bloody good job that we got all those claps every Thursday because I’ve heard that the supermarkets are about to start letting all NHS staff pay in claps and that the petrol stations are allowing NHS staff to pay in claps and, even better, the coffee shops have confirmed that with every 100 claps, you get a bonus 10 claps on your reward card!
Thank **** for those claps on a Thursday night.
PM Polly
(not amused)
July 30, 2021 at 6:36 am
Love it! I’d really like to share but you know that a lot of people outside the NHS won’t get it, they’ll think we’re ungrateful. Sad times!
July 30, 2021 at 7:33 am
Haha!! How very true. I’ll just nip down to Sainsbury’s – I could get a couple of plastic carrier bags ??
July 30, 2021 at 7:49 am
PM Polly, always straight to the point, but with humour.
July 30, 2021 at 8:02 am
made me smile on a Friday – thanks 😉
July 30, 2021 at 8:17 am
We have never tied pay to NHS rates, as we are not part of the NHS for this, So, when NHS staff pay was frozen, our staff still got payrises, based on skills, and what the local market was paying. Linking pay changes to Lidl’s pay rate changes, is a better reflection than what the NHS pays.
July 30, 2021 at 11:46 am
Brilliant – made me laugh today – but so true – workers are better paid at Aldi & they don’t have all the stress….
July 30, 2021 at 11:58 am
Brilliant – that really made me laugh on a Friday – but sadly true – workers get paid more at Aldi and don’t have the stress that Practice Staff do – it’s very sad….
August 2, 2021 at 9:47 am
Absolutely Brilliant! Well Said – Couldnt have said it better!
August 2, 2021 at 10:01 am
I like the attitude but… The government announcement came out coincidentally the same day as we announced a 1.5% pay rise for our staff with a gentle reminder that WE ARE NOT NHS. It doesn’t matter what increase you give it’ll never be enough.
Could be worse, We could be like a lot of other small business’s who have gone bust and had to lay off their staff.
By the way, I could not live without the claps. Are they tax deductible? 😀
August 2, 2021 at 11:05 am
Fabulous and funny!!! But I’d love to know where I can get a vodka & coke for £3.95 !!
August 9, 2021 at 4:18 pm
I know this is a boring reply, but I am grateful that I have kept full time employment and job security throughout this whole sorry episode of my life.
Yes it has been hard work, yes some people have been ungrateful for my efforts, but I would do it all over again for those that have been grateful and thankful for our care.
I am grateful for any pay rise when the country must be nearly bankrupt.
I acknowledge that the NHS has been underfunded for years.
PS I don’t much like coffee or alcohol and no pay rise has ever kept up with the hike in cigarette costs!!!!