Pay and benefits

Pay

The majority of our staff are paid in line with the NHS Agenda for Change pay rates. This covers all staff except doctors, dentists, and very senior managers, who are paid a separate rate. 

Pay enhancements

Depending on the role, unsocial hours payments are made for working nights, weekends and bank holidays.  A set allowance is also paid for on-call working.

NHS pension

Staff can opt into an excellent final salary pension scheme. There are no administrative costs and there are facilities to increase your benefits by paying additional contributions. 

We contribute 20% of your salary towards your pension, and your contribution will vary depending on how much you earn. You can check your contribution on the NHS Employers site.

Flexible retirement

Depending on the scheme your benefits are included in, you may have access to a range of flexible retirement options.

We recognise life shouldn’t be all about work. Where appropriate for the role, we can offer flexible working to support a good work-life balance, and staff can request this from day one of their employment with us. 

For some roles, we can offer relocation packages to support you in making the move to Coventry, Warwickshire or Solihull. This will be mentioned in the job advert and should be discussed with your hiring manager at the interview. Relocation packages should be agreed during the offer stage, before you formally accept the role.

Annual leave 

We have a generous annual leave policy which starts at 35 days off per year, including bank holidays (pro-rata). This increases the longer you work for us to 37 days after 5 years and 41 days after 10 years (including bank holidays). This covers all staff except for doctors and dentists whose annual leave entitlement will depend on their role and length of NHS service and in line with your terms and conditions. This varies between consultants, speciality and specialist (SAS) doctors and junior doctors and ranges between 35 to 42 days off per year, including bank holidays. 
 
Staff have the option to purchase up to five days (pro rata for part time) additional annual leave each year. Applications are submitted in March for leave to be taken in the following leave year, with the costs spread equally over the next 12 months.

Unplanned leave 

Sometimes emergencies happen – and we will support you to take extra leave if you need it. 

We have policies covering: 

• Carer’s Leave 
• Bereavement Leave 
• Emergency Domestic Leave
• Dependant Leave. 

Maternity and new parent support leave 

We support our colleagues who are having a baby or choosing to adopt. Staff are entitled to paid and unpaid maternity leave if they have 12 months’ continuous NHS service at the beginning of the eleventh week before expected childbirth.

Where this criteria is met staff will receive:

•  8 weeks leave at full pay 
• 18 weeks leave at half pay 
• 13 weeks Statutory Maternity Pay or maternity allowance you’re entitled to under the statutory scheme
• final 13 weeks no pay.

You can also choose to share leave with your partner. 

Two weeks paid new parent support leave (paternity leave) is also available for partners with 12 months continuous NHS service.

Salary sacrifice scheme through Vivup 

A salary sacrifice scheme is available through our Employee Assistance Programme (EAP), Vivup. This includes: 

• home and electronics, this spreads the cost of home essentials with no need for credit checks and avoids the need for payday loans
• Cycle to Work and Bike Shop, this provides affordable access to bikes and safety accessories, spreading the cost with monthly payments direct from your salary
• gym membership.

In addition to the salary sacrifice scheme, staff can also save money through a range of discounts on upfront purchases available through Vivup.

Lease car vehicle / salary sacrifice scheme 

All staff have access to both a lease car and vehicle salary sacrifice scheme operated by an external provider. Clear eligibility criteria are in place to ensure that there are no impacts on the National Minimum Wage.

NHS discounts 

Take advantage of the wide range of discounts on offer to NHS staff including: 

• NHS Blue Light discount card
• Health Service Discounts 
• NHS Discount Offers.