Royal Berkshire nurses lose recruitment bonuses

Minutes for the trust’s council of governors meeting for September show that the perk will be in place only until Christmas.

The papers say: “The board had decided that this was not sustainable in a period where it was not hard to recruit. Therefore, such supplementary payments could not be justified.”

The trust had already axed the scheme for other professions, “and the lowest paid members of staff, such as healthcare assistants, had never received them in any case.”

The papers conclude: “Although a very difficult issue, it was felt that the right decision had been made. It was noted that the executive pay bill had also decreased significantly in recent times.”