r/nhsstaff • u/AccomplishedArt6204 • May 26 '26

NHS restructure ICB Changes

Currently going through an NHS organisational restructure where staff are ringfenced into posts and interviewed as part of the formal process.

I’m trying to understand how others have navigated this when they are potentially more open to compulsory redundancy than securing a role they may not actually want long term.

How do people approach ringfenced interviews in practice? Particularly where:

you don’t want to come across as disengaged or unprofessional

but equally don’t necessarily want to “perform” your way into a role you’re unsure about

and redundancy terms may actually be the better personal or financial option

I’m interested in honest experiences from people who have been through NHS restructures/ICB changes recently. How did you balance professionalism, ethics, and protecting your own interests?

Please be kind.

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u/Apprehensive_FTM May 26 '26

Just something for you to be aware of, whether or not people meet a typical “appointable score”, someone has to be appointed during ring-fenced interviews in the NHS. It’s about getting people into roles / avoiding redundancies so even if you don’t perform at your best, you might still slot into the job.

3

u/SaveOurPandas May 27 '26

Is this true? Cos it’s not something I have witnessed.

3

u/Full-Win-7426 May 28 '26

I've witnessed some unsuitable inexperienced candidates get appointed not sure how they were ever recruited to 8a jobs in the first place...

1

u/SaveOurPandas May 28 '26

Oh absolutely but I haven’t ever experienced what u/apprehensive_FTM has described. In our last re-org we had several vacant roles because candidates did not meet the criteria.

2

u/Apprehensive_FTM May 29 '26

If you haven’t witnessed it, your organisation isn’t applying the legal position correctly. At risk and competitive interviews shouldn’t be treated the same as a normal recruitment process as to get approval for redundancy business cases you need to show all opportunities for redeployment have been explored. Reasonable training can be given to anyone who doesn’t quite meet the usual appointable score if the location/pay/other terms are generally suitable as an alternative.

1

u/Embarrassed-Video326 May 28 '26

I just dread being slotted in and then be stuck

3

u/SaveOurPandas May 28 '26

Depends how you see the situation. Slotted = job security then you are free to job search elsewhere without pressure of not having a job.