What’s my role?

My role, as the name suggests is to be a guardian to your safe working. I work alongside my team to hold the trust to account if there are any unsafe working conditions or working conditions which negatively impact on your training. I know about issues via exception reports and use them as the basis for a quarterly report I send to the Trust executives. I have the power to fine the trust if they are breaching the rules and allocate those fines to initiatives which help Junior Doctors

What is an Exception Report?

An exception report is form you should complete if there is anything which you deem is unsafe, which you know breaks the rules of the contract, or which is preventing you from attending educational opportunities. You have a contractual obligation to complete these forms hence is expected from all of you. It is the ONLY way I can show evidence about issues in the Trust and levy fines and it is the ONLY mechanism for you to get payment or Time Off In Lieu (TOIL) if you work hours outside of your contract (such as staying late). It is in your interest to exception report and your consultants should be supportive of this process; if they are not then you should contact me privately about this.

Exception reports count as work so should be done within paid time (like a DATIX) and are also a useful way of highlighting immediate safety concerns as it allows rapid escalation and a solution to be found to the problem.

They are designed to highlight exceptions to your standard working pattern; if there is an issue such as your rota not matching your work schedule then that is better fixed with a work schedule review with your educational supervisor (which can be escalated to involve me as needed).

How do I submit an Exception Report?

You can submit an exception report at https://drs.realtimerostering.uk/. Every Junior Doctor should have a login for it, but if you don’t then contact HR as soon as possible; you don’t want to be trying to get a login at the point where you have the issue. If you are having issues then contact me directly.

What is a work schedule and what is a work schedule review?

Your work schedule is a part of the 2016 contract which defines your working pattern and hence your pay. If your rota doesn’t match your work schedule then you are not being paid correctly and it might be breaking rest requirements. An example would be where your work schedule says you start at 0830am, but you are expected to arrive at 0800am for a handover, or a trauma meeting, or to review patients before the ward round. In this case you should discuss with your educational supervisor to request a work schedule review. There is a process they should follow which should ultimately get the work schedule changed and hence your pay should change to reflect the extra hours. If you have any issues then you can contact me directly.

I have other issues, what should I do?

Sources of help:

• Dr. Vanessa Fludder - Guardian of Safe Working - vanessa.fludder@nhs.net

• Dr James Collins - Junior Doctor Rep for BMA - jamescollins2@nhs.net

• Your Educational Supervisor

• BMA - 0300 123 1233

• Your Local Faculty Group (LFG) Rep

• Come to the Junior Doctor Forum (JDF)