What it's like working on the NBT eXtra Bank

Jessie has filled a general porter role in NBT eXtra for the past two and a half years. Her role can involve working anywhere across the Trust. For example, Waste Services Maternity, Internal Ambulance, Emergency Department, Retained Estates; a variety of which she thoroughly enjoys. Prior to joining NBT eXtra Jessie hadn’t worked for a long time as she struggled to find a role where she could balance rigid work rotas and a very busy homelife, caring for children and a disabled family member. A friend suggested that NBT eXtra could give her the flexibility she clearly needed in a role and she hasn’t looked back since!  

When asked about what she enjoys about working on Bank in NBT, Jessica said “I am a chatterbox so this role is perfect for me. I love engaging with patients and talking to them. I know in my role that although I am not clinical, I can still support them. When patients are with me, I can help them relax and feel at ease”.   

Jessie also shared “The staff are friendly here and the hospital is a great place to work. People I encounter on my travels are normally very helpful and when I say good morning to people, I get a response! I think we are well looked after and supported. Bank is such a great flexible option for people who cannot stick to a rigid timetable”.

Rory has filled a mix of substantive and bank roles in North Bristol Trust over the past seven years. It was whilst working closely with Speech and Language teams in a Band 3 Behavioural Health Care Assistant role that he was inspired to complete a Masters in Speech and Language Therapy. Having returned to the Trust, post studies, Rory now works as a Band 5 Speech and Language Therapist. This role has been a great learning curve for him, allowing him to work across 3 inpatient teams and offering him great variety and learning opportunities, valuable experience that he feels he may not have achieved in a permanent role. Rory enjoys working on bank as it allows him to balance working life with other priorities such as taking driving lessons. Rory knows that being able to drive will be very important for his clinical practice and career progression and being a bank worker, he can take his lessons whilst working. Rory also likes being paid weekly for his bank shifts as it allows him to easily manage his finances. Rory says “I love working at Southmead hospital. The standard of care, equipment and working environment is really good”.

Caz has worked as a senior bank physiotherapist on the neurology, neurosurgery and stroke wards since March 2022, having been specialist in neuro for the last 15 years. Caz enjoys varying where she works and helping out wherever is needed most. Caz says “I love working in neurology and NBT hold all the neuro services as a regional unit so it’s ideal working here given my experience. But asides from that I really love the teams that I work with. They are fantastic and work so hard to deliver the best possible patient care. They make me feel really valued as a therapist.  I am always welcomed and feel my skills are valued which really makes a difference to my job satisfaction”. Caz is one of NHS England's clinical entrepreneurs and established a business to determine how we could harness the brains potential for recovery using digital feedback and explore the concept of sensory substitution.  Whilst this opportunity develops, Caz has required a more flexible working style.  Caz shared “All the managers of the teams are very supportive and friendly and accommodate my need for flexibility with a smile. It makes all the difference to me. Being part of NBT eXtra has really helped me achieve my goals as a physio”.

Alex has worked on the NBT eXtra bank as a Healthcare Support Worker for the past three years. As a medical student, he needed to complete some hospital-based placements. He looked for a job that would help him gain more exposure and patient contact experience within an acute hospital environment whilst offering financial rewards to help fund his studies. So, he joined NBT eXtra!   

Alex said “For me, being a bank worker has given me the freedom to pursue my studies, whilst also having the financial security that comes with shift availability. It has hugely helped me with my medical studies; it has taught me about managing and communicating well with patients as well as providing quality care. This job allows me to work on numerous different wards with different teams, and allows me to see a variety of patients, providing me with valuable experience to help me with my medical degree.   I would highly recommend bank work to anyone looking to work whilst studying or more simply anyone wanting to pursue other endeavours outside of work”.

Thea has worked for NBT for more than 20 years. Originally, she worked at Frenchay as a substantive nurse before transferring to Southmead Hospital. In 2015, Thea made the decision to leave this role and join the NBT eXtra Bank. Now she works bank shifts primarily in the NMSK division.  

As a qualified nurse who left the Philippines to move to the UK and join NBT, Thea said “I felt like I had a family away from home straight away which meant so much after leaving my home country. The NBT eXtra team have also been so supportive. It is a really nice feeling when you meet amazing people along the way and I have wonderful colleagues”  

 Thea also said “I love the flexibility. I can choose where to work and when to work. At the time when I chose to leave my substantive role, my children were young and I needed to be able to work more flexibly due to an incompatible work life juggle. It took me a few months to get comfortable as I was worried about bills and finances, but I am a person who is up for new challenges and experiences and I wanted to see if a bank role would suit me, and it does! I still very much feel like I am still part of the team. I don’t feel like I am an outsider or different because I am a bank worker. I am still very much enjoying working at NBT!”

Yvonne has worked as a Bank Administrator for the past four years. Her current role is providing Administration support to the IT Service Desk. A friend recommended bank to Yvonne, who up to that point thought Bank only offered opportunities to doctors and nurses. Yvonne liked the variety that bank work would offer her and also knew it would hold her attention by allowing her to try out different options and meet new people. Yvonne says “Joining NBT eXtra was the best decision I made”. Yvonne wouldn’t describe herself as technical and when offered an assignment with IT was unsure if it would suit her. But she is still there so feels she is doing something right! She said, “I was assured it was procedure driven so decided to give it a go.” She also added “The team is amazing, the variety of work is interesting and it holds my attention. I am learning all the time. My advice to others is do not judge a role and give everything a go”. Yvonne shared that she really likes the regular communication that NBT eXtra share on available shifts and the length of assignments allows you to get your teeth into projects. Yvonne is very positive about her role on bank and shared “It is probably one of my favourite jobs I have ever undertaken!”

Tash has worked on the NBT bank for the past year. Prior to joining NBT eXtra she worked as a midwife in a role that combined community and hospital midwifery. Tash chose to work in Southmead hospital as she wanted to move to a bigger city with more opportunities to learn and grow her career. Tash said “I like working for NBT eXtra because I work for a trust that has welcomed me and taught me so much. Whilst also having more freedom and flexibility in my working week. I can make spontaneous plans and take longer amounts of time off with ease for travelling or festivals. I can also pick the areas where I would like to work. Bank work is a great option for those looking for a more flexible work life balance”.