My Trust recently moved the ward I had worked on for 7 years, a specialist plastic surgery unit, out of its original Middlesex location to an inner London site 12 miles away.
12 miles dosen't sound much but the new location would have involved a journey of 2 hours for me and on the 12-hour days I would have been getting up at 4,30 AM to reach the site for the 7AM shift start so I chose to be re-deployed to another Trust hospital closer to home.
All they offered me was Critical Care, an area I know nothing about but I thought I'd give it a go.
After 2 weeks of it I absolutely detest it. I dread going to work.. All my surgical and wound-care skills are now useless and I 'm just not cut out for watching monitors and noting numbers.
With the recruitment situation as it currently is (most London Trusts have a new-staff freeze) I am finding it hard to get another post.
