NHS Employers is reminding managers that with Christmas, Boxing Day and New Years Day falling on a weekend this year they need to check their arrangements for staff.

The provisions for medical staff are set out in the General Whitley Council conditions of service, Section 2 (statutory and public holidays) with specific reference to paragraphs 2.1.1 and 18. The provision states that an employee who carries out emergency duty (on-call or standby) on a paid public holiday should be granted a day off in lieu.

With the inevitable disruption to staffing arrangements looming it is advisable for managers to seek alternative arrangements such as outsourcing from external staffing providers, in order to cope with absences over the festive season. Christmas and New Years are an especially busy time for the NHS and frontline services and it is imperative your manpower is in no way compromised.