Need to Know Information
Please click on the tabs below for more information.
After you are offered a job, a number of pre-employment checks must be undertaken to ensure safe employment practice to protect our employees and service users. You cannot start your new job until these checks have been cleared.
Identification Checks
You will be asked to provide your passport and two other forms of identification which can be:
- Birth Certificate
- Driving Licence
- Utility bill (or similar document with proof of address)
Also required is your National Insurance number and most recent payslip.
If you cannot provide your Passport, you must provide your Birth Certificate and National Insurance number.
References of Employment History
You are required to provide 2 references for your pre-employment checks.
If your post is medical or dental, 3 references are required.
Occupational Health Checks
During Induction, you will be invited to attend an occupational health check prior to starting employment.
Professional Registration and Qualifications
Any staff group who requires registration (eg Nurses, Doctors, AHPS, etc) will be asked to provide original certificates at interview stage, where a photocopy will be made to keep on record.
Any posts which need registration with appropriate professional bodies (eg. GMC, etc) will require you to provide your professional membership number which will be checked by one of our Recruitment Team.
Disclosure Scotland
For posts which require you to work with vulnerable groups, you must complete a PVG (Protecting Vulnerable Groups) form.
Right to Work Checks
To check you are eligible to work in the UK we must obtain further documentation.
If you are a UK or EEA citizen – You will need your Passport, Full Birth Certificate and National Insurance number.
If you are non-UK or EEA citizen – You will need to provide your Passport, valid visa or Bio-metric Resident Permit (BRP).
Once all checks are complete, you will be notified by your new line manager.
Fraud Checks
If your post is medical, or a senior position, Fraud Checks will be carried out.
GPs Performers List
If you are a GP who is new to Scotland, or who works in Scotland but is new to Dumfries & Galloway, you will need to register on our region’s Performers List. Please click here for more information.
When will I get paid: If you are paid monthly you will be paid on the last Thursday of the month (Your pay will be in your bank account on the Wednesday). If you are paid weekly monies are paid into your bank account on Thursday each week.
Please note that depending on when you start your post, you may not be paid in your first month due to the payroll cut off date.
Your Payslip:
You will receive your payslip in work via the mail. You can opt to go paperless, which we encourage our staff to do. Once you are paperless, you can view your payslip online via Beacon, our staff intranet site.
Please contact the local Payroll Team if you have any pay queries :
Email – dg.payrollservices@nhs.scot
Click here for pay terms and conditions.
Working for NHS Dumfries and Galloway gives you access to a pension scheme.
As an employee, your are automatically enrolled in the NHS pension scheme run by the Scottish Public Pensions Agency (SPPA). Both you and the NHS contribute to the scheme every month to help you save for your retirement. The government also contributes through tax relief. You can choose to opt out of the pension scheme, but if you stay in you will have your own pension when you retire. Your pension belongs to you, even if you leave the NHS.
If you would like more information, click here to be directed to the SPPA website, or call them on 01896 893 000.
Please refer to our Frequently Asked Questions document Pensions – Frequently Asked Questions.
For more information on the NHS Scotland Pension scheme, click here.
The annual leave period runs from 1st April until 31st March. (Medical and dental staff have separate provisions)
All requests for annual leave should be agreed by your line manager.
For more information please refer to our Annual Leave Policy.
Car parking is free at all NHS Dumfries and Galloway sites.
Please use staff car parking zones in sites where this is signposted to allow our patients easy access to use our services.
When you start a new role, your line manager will make sure you receive the correct uniform if this is required for your job.
All staff who wear a uniform are required to wear the NHS Scotland national uniform. Failure to comply with this policy may lead to further action being taken under the Disciplinary Policy.
Staff who are issued with a uniform as part of their employment with the NHS are responsible for regularly checking that it remains in good condition. They should alert their line manager promptly when a replacement uniform is required. Where a replacement uniform is required, staff must exchange the uniform that is being replaced.
Where changing facilities are provided, staff must use them. Staff must not travel to and from work in uniform. Staff must change into uniform prior to commencing work and out of uniform before leaving the workplace. Where there are no changing facilities, staff are reminded of the risk of cross infection when wearing uniforms out of working hours and are required to change out of uniform as soon as possible after leaving the workplace. It is accepted that staff working in the community will wear their uniform while travelling between patients, while carrying out business on behalf of NHS Dumfries & Galloway, while purchasing petrol or purchasing their lunch. It is not acceptable for staff to wear their uniform whilst undertaking personal business e.g. shopping, banking etc. Uniforms will only be worn while on official NHS business.
Staff must dress in a professional manner which is likely to inspire public confidence,
for example:
- In clean uniform (where uniform is a requirement), which has been
laundered in accordance with the Uniform Laundering Policy (Section 3). - When providing patient care, hair should be tied back off the collar, with nails kept
short and clean. - Wear clear identifiers (e.g. badges etc).
Appropriate steps must be taken to adhere to good practice, and to minimise the risks
of infections and cross contamination for patients and the public, for example:
- Staff should wear short-sleeved shirts/blouses and avoid wearing
white coats or neck ties when providing patient care; staff may wear full length
sleeves when not engaged in patient care activity. - Staff should not wear false nails or hand or wrist jewellery (other than a plain
wedding ring or one other plain band) when providing patient care. - Where for religious reasons, staff wish to cover their forearms during patient
care activity, it is acceptable to wear disposable over-sleeves where gloves
are used, with strict adherence to hand and wrist washing before and after
use. Over-sleeves must be disposed of as disposable gloves. It is also acceptable to wear three-quarter length sleeves. Three-quarter length sleeves must not be loose or dangling. They must be able to be rolled or pulled back and kept securely in place during handwashing and direct patient care activity.
All appropriate health and safety requirements for staff should be met, for example:
- Staff should not wear excessive jewellery.
- Staff should wear soft-soled, closed toe shoes.
- Staff should not carry pens or scissors in outside breast pockets.
Staff must dress in a manner which is sensitive to the social, cultural and diversity
and equality needs of other staff, patients and carers/visitors.
A Bank Worker is one of a group of flexible workers, required to work on an ‘as and when required’ basis, often at short notice, to cover for planned and unplanned shortfalls in regular staffing. The individuals are referred to as “Bank Workers” as they are not NHS employees, although they are recruited and trained within the parent NHS organisation. Bank Workers may work within a variety of clinical areas, depending on their relevant skills and are paid at NHS rates through NHS payroll systems.
NHS Dumfries and Galloway offer bank posts for nursing and our support services. When vacancies are available, these are advertised on Jobtrain.
All members of staff must wear their ID badges to be recognisable to other staff, and to gain access into work areas.
If you are a new member of staff, you will receive your ID badge at Induction.
If you lose your ID badge, please report this immediately and you will be issued with a new card.
ID badges used to swipe access to restricted areas must not be shared with anyone else.
ID badges must not be used to allow others access to a restricted area at the same time, unless their identity is verified to the badge holder providing access.
All of our policies can be found on the NHS Workforce Policies Website. Developed nationally in partnership with NHSScotland employers, trade unions and the Scottish Government, these policies and associated supporting documents set the standard for employment practice that all of our Health Boards follow.
Click here to visit the website.
NHS Dumfries and Galloway works in partnership with recognised trade unions. Consultation and negotiation with accredited staff side representatives, acting on behalf of their members, occurs throughout the organisation at all levels.
Advantages of joining a trade union include support and advice if you experience any problems in the workplace, and access to related free legal advice. Being a member also gives you a voice so that you can influence NHS polices and service provision in our region as well as local and national union policy. Other benefits may include , for example, insurance, holiday discounts and car hire deals.
There are a number of Unions open to NHS staff including Unison, UNITE, RCN, RCM, CSP, BMA,RSR, or BDA, some may be more appropriate for your job or profession.
To learn more, check out the union websites and get some feedback from your new colleagues. The choice is yours.
The Education Centre, located on the second floor of Dumfries and Galloway Infirmary, is clearly sign-posted from the main reception and has 24 hour access for staff by using your ID card.
The Education Centre is equipped with all the latest IT and audiovisual technology, including 52” screens, giving excellent presentation facilities in all rooms and the Clickshare wireless presentation system allowing you to fully mirror the screen of your laptop, tablet or phone onto the central meeting room screen. We have videoconferencing available from any of our rooms along with clinical skills training with interactive models and can provide group IT skills training. New additions to the Centre include a Simulation Suite with mid-fidelity HAL simulator and a SMOTS™ recording system to allow us to develop our provision of simulation. We also have the modern John Paterson Library including 10 computers with 24-hour internet access, an open plan breakout space for catering, 10 seminar rooms and an 82 seat tiered lecture theatre all available for use at any time.
The Education Centre provides facilities for undergraduate and postgraduate medical education and aim to support the continuing professional development of all staff in our Health Board.
For more information, click here to be directed to the Education Centre website.
