A MEMBER of bank staff at the Trust which runs Andover hospital has accused bosses of treating staff “like garbage” after they failed to pay a group of around 10.

The worker, who decided to remain anonymous for fear of repercussions, told the Advertiser that weekly paid bank staff at the Trust's Basingstoke site were not paid on Friday, as usual.

He said it transpired that a supervisor had not clicked a button in time to meet payroll’s deadline, resulting in all bank staff not being paid.

Although it appeared to be a genuine mistake, the worker criticised the hospital trust for failing to rectify the error, instead telling staff they would have to wait until the next pay run to receive their money, which he said is a breach of contract.

He added: “The message we received was that it was up to us to ensure that the managers and payroll had confirmed our hours each week despite many people not working on Mondays when the deadline is set each week.

“This is the main source of income for many of us and every manager contacted regarding this denies responsibility and just says it is the staffs’ fault for not ensuring the mangers have done their jobs.

“It stinks to high heaven that people working in operating theatres, helping people are not paid and the trust seems to not give a hoot. We have been treated like garbage with no recourse.”

He said the incident had left staff feeling “demoralised” adding: “Many of us bounced direct debits because of the refusal to pay us.”

The worker said the incident is “symbolic of how the whole place is run” and said the trust is “not open to improvements”.

“If you speak out all of a sudden your shifts aren’t available,” he said, adding: “Staff are off because of stress from work. It really is a toxic place. I’m gobsmacked having worked in well-run organisations to get to this place and see how it is. People are so blatantly rude, they speak to you like dirt.”

A spokesperson for Hampshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (HHFT) said: “Our colleagues on the bank are valued members of Team HHFT, and processes are in place to ensure that bank staff are paid promptly. In exceptional cases where a delay occurs, steps are taken to correct this as soon as possible.

“Staff who may have concerns have a range of routes through which to raise these both formally and informally, and the trust actively encourages colleagues to use such mechanisms where necessary.

“It’s incredibly important to us that we are there to care for our staff, in the same way they care for their patients. The trust continues to provide wide ranging support for colleagues and managers to ensure Hampshire Hospitals is a great place to work, against the backdrop of ongoing pressures of Covid-19 and sustained levels of demand across our services. This includes a staff wellbeing hub which is available for all staff, regular development and training opportunities, and dedicated time to reflect on the wonderful things our staff do every day – most recently through our Staff Focus Week.

“In rare instances where our CARE values are not followed, staff are always encouraged to raise this through one of the many channels available.”