Executives at Airedale NHS Trust have been warned not to neglect medical staff when it comes to deciding overtime payment for the millennium bank holiday.

The warning came from Steve Fowler, chairman of the Joint Staff Committee, at the trust's board meeting this week. He urged executives not to overlook nurses when determining pay for those who will work over the turn of the new millennium.

New Year's Eve and New Year's Day are both to be classed as bank holidays. Mr Fowler said: "Nurses contractually have to come into work on bank holidays. If they don't get enough payment their unions are going to be very aggrieved that other people are going to be getting special payments.

"It is unfair that nurses are going to be called in and not be paid enough. The whole thing is being fuelled by their 2.8 per cent pay offer, and their unions will see this as a way of pulling that money back. I think it is important that we get this issue dealt with."

There was also concern from Medical Director Dr Paul Godwin, who said: "Consul-tants and junior doctors don't get extra payment for bank holidays. I think it will more difficult to recruit more doctors in the autumn because of this."

During the meeting there was agreement that overtime pay for the new-millennium period should be decided at regional level rather than by the local trust.

Chief Executive Bob Allen said if the pay agreement was made independently it could have a 'spiralling' effect on neighbouring trusts.

Concern was also raised about levels of staffing over the holiday period, especially with non-medical staff who are not compelled to work over bank holidays.

Deputy Chief Executive Janet Crouch said: "The areas we are going to have difficulty with are where staff don't usually work bank holidays. We need to get a plan in place to look at the staff we've got.

"It is very important that we give as much support to employees as possible in terms of transport and issues such as child-care, and that logistically is another big issue. It is going to be a demanding period."

Chairman Jill Penn added: "I think it is very important that we get it sorted out. It is possibly a more important issue than the year 2000 issues connected with computers."

With no extra government cash allocated to trusts to pay for the extra overtime during the millennium bank holiday, the money will have to come from other areas with one possible source being the trust's contingency budget.

Fire-safety training for staff at Airedale Hospital is to be given greater priority.

Members of the Airedale NHS trust board made the recommendation after a fire-safety audit report outlined the need for improved training.

During 1998, approximately 57 per cent of staff attended annual fire-safety training compared with 40 per cent in 1997 and 50 per cent in 1996.

Mr Allen stressed the need to put fire-safety on a greater level of importance, and suggested the introduction of an annual fire-safety audit.

He said: "The figure for last year was relatively good regarding previous years but it is still not good enough. Managers need to make sure that as many staff as possible attend lectures on fire safety annually. There is still some work to be done and work is in progress to address some of our shortcomings."

In his audit report, Fire Safety Advisor Stan Stafford states that although the trust has achieved a fair standard of fire safety there are several areas which need addressing.

Three health workers from Holland have been gaining an insight into the NHS this week.

The trio have been finding out what life is like at Airedale Hospital with a three-day visit.

Personal assistant Lenie Hoekman has been shadowing Airedale's Secretariat Manager Janice Garnett, Herman Kuik has been working in the hospital's laboratories and social worker Hans Feddema has been working with paediatric specialists.

The Dutch visitors all work in a hospital in Lelystad, north east of Amsterdam.

The visit has been arranged through the work experience co-ordinators at South Craven School in Cross Hills. Every year, pupils from the school visit the Netherlands and forge links with Dutch industries.

During their stay in South Craven the visitors were put up in the homes of local families.

Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.