Big Money Team Talk - we are listening to what you are telling us  

This is the last week of our BIG Money Team Talk.  Thank you to everyone who has got involved to give their views so far.  We will be looking at all of your comments and thinking about what more we can do to support you as a Trust. 

We have already heard some themes coming through loud and clear.  Most significantly is the impact of the current cost of living crisis.  With this in mind, we are keen to support you.  

We can therefore confirm the following steps from 1 December.  These will remain in place until at least the end of January: 

• Free staff car parking – we will extend free staff car parking.  This means our new payment system won’t come into operation yet.  You still must register by 30 November 2022 to access free parking.  To read more detail click here. 

• Increased mileage rates – our current increased mileage rates will also remain in place.  To read the detail click here. 

• Weekly wellbeing delivery to clinical areas – we are organising a weekly supply of tea, coffee and food essentials to support clinical teams during busy shifts.  We will deliver these to hospital wards and departments and community teams.  Please bear with us and we will share more details soon.  

• Half price food in the Trust restaurants – we will increase the current 20% discount in our Trust restaurants to 50% off food and drink for all staff.  Please note this won’t apply to Christmas lunches.  We are also looking into options to support nightshift staff when the restaurants are closed and will share more details soon.  

• Free bottled water – we will provide free bottles of water to all staff available every day from the Trust restaurants at South Tyneside District Hospital, Sunderland Royal Hospital and Sunderland Eye Infirmary.   This will include a weekly delivery to community sites.  We are also working on a long-term solution to reduce plastic waste.  We ask that you please re-fill water bottles as much as possible rather than get a new one. 

• NHSP incentive arrangements – we are reviewing our current incentive arrangements and will share more details ASAP about plans for the winter period. 

We know this winter will be a difficult one for everyone and your health and wellbeing is most important to us.  We hope these small gestures will make a positive difference for you. 

Thank you all for your hard work and support.