Public Servant Lifestyle

Paymaster General Dawn Primarolo launched the new consultation on tax & national insurance incentives to boost employer-supported childcare at the Royal London Hospital’s (RLH) workplace nursery, which is seen as a model example of how an NHS employer can help its employees with their childcare needs.

Having a nursery on site has been extremely helpful to me," says Rachel Elu, a nurse and mother of two young children who are cared for by the nursery. "It has made working full time possible, given me peace of mind, and with the help of Working Families Tax Credit, has made it financially possible."

Another working mother, nurse Jane Latchford, said: "Without Fee Direct (salary sacrifice arrangements - see new Inland Revenue guidance) childcare would be too expensive, and I wouldn’t be able to return to work."

Paul White, Chief Executive, Barts and the London NHS Trust said: "We have made great efforts in this Trust to enable staff to balance family with work commitments. We currently provide 64 nursery spaces at the Royal London Hospital, and we are opening a new nursery at Barts next month for a further 43 children. We offer more than many other employers do, as we subsidise nursery places using the employers' NICs savings we make to benefit parents on lower incomes."

Praising what the Trust has done, Dawn Primarolo said: "This nursery is an excellent example of an employer helping staff meet their childcare needs and provides first-rate support to vital public sector workers."

More information available in Work Life Balance