Suspended for 12 weeks advice please.

[Tiredandwiery]

Hi, I am new to this, my mother told me to read these forums as she is aware of the situation i find myself in.

Brief background: I work within the NHS and have done so for the last 8 years, I love my job very much but it has been getting harder and harder with all the changes (Staff cuts, Bed closures etc) within the NHS.

 

I have been suspended from work since early Jan due to something that happened a month before, I am still not 100% certain what the incident is really about although I have a rough idea, the incident that they are saying i'm suspended for has got nothing to do with me, I cover a specific part of the Hospital I work in and the incident happened somewhere completly seperate. I used to be a union steward and I will always stand up for myself, my manager does not like the fact that I am willing to stand up but more importantly that I know how to follow the policies and procedures that they supply to us where as she does not. This may sound like i am being bitter to my manager, honestly i'm not, she has been in charge of our department for the last 5 years and I along with many others have seen how our morale has gone downhill but also that our service has suffered because of it.

 

When I got called in to be suspended, they told me that i would be suspended for a period of 4 weeks on full pay and full enhancements and that it is in no way impling guilt but i am not allowed to speak to anyone that I work with, they then handed me the suspension policy and told me they would be in contact, i noticed when i got home that the policy says they have to write to me within a set time but they over run this by 2 days, when the 4 weeks were up they informed me in writing that it would be extended for a further 3 weeks, that was the last I heard untill the other day when they sent me a letter saying meeting tomorrow.

 

I have an investigation meeting tomorrow afternoon and would like some advice if poss.

Many thanks

[becky2585]

The NHS are notoriously terrible when it comes to disciplinary action. I've seen people previously suspended for nearly a year!

 

What are the allegations against you? Is it considered gross misconduct? Unfortunately, they only have to give you definitive allegations after the investigatory meeting, so you may have a wait yet. Hang in there and hopefully things will work out.

[scousepie]

http://www.acas.org.uk/index.aspx?articleid=2042

[Tiredandwiery]

Thanks becky

 

I work in a team of 5 but cover one specific area, the allegation is that the team refuesd to carry out a request, how could i refuse if I was unawre of the request because it was out of my normal area of work.

[Tiredandwiery]

scousepie, thanks for the link, I have been in contact with ACAS and they have told me to wait until I have my investegatory meeting, I was told that there was a limit that they were allowed to suspend you for but I am not sure if that is the case now.

[scousepie]

scousepie, thanks for the link, I have been in contact with ACAS and they have told me to wait until I have my investegatory meeting, I was told that there was a limit that they were allowed to suspend you for but I am not sure if that is the case now.

 

Tiredandwaiery keep us informed of the situation... good luck.

[Tiredandwiery]

thank you to both of you, my meeting is for 3pm tomorrow and I have a meeting with my Union rep at 2:30, I will post on here once I have had my meeting to shed some more light on the subject and hopefully I can give you all details, should I post in this thread or start a new one, i suppose this thread would be best