Handing over millions of patients records to a private company is ‘reckless and wrong’ says UNISON

UNISON has today (Monday) strongly condemned the government’s decision to award primary care support services – one of the largest NHS contracts worth £1bn over ten years – to outsourcing giant Capita.

UNISON comments on Lord Carter’s interim report on increasing staff efficiency in hospitals

UNISON Head of Health Christina McAnea said: “Of course it’s essential that savings can be made, particularly at a time when NHS budgets are being cut.

UNISON suspends probation strike to allow for more talks

UNISON has today (Tuesday) suspended the industrial action in probation planned for this Thursday in England to restart pay talks with the employer. The action short of strike action has also been suspended.

Safe staffing won’t be solved by NICE suspending its guidance work, says UNISON

The announcement today (Thursday) that the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) is to suspend its work developing guidance on safe staffing levels throughout the NHS has been greeted with deep concern by UNISON.

UNISON comments on Queen’s Speech

Commenting on the Queen’s Speech, UNISON General Secretary Dave Prentis said: “The UK already has tough laws on strikes – there is no need to make them stricter still.

Probation staff vote yes to strike over pay row says UNISON

UNISON’s probation members working for the National Probation Service and the 21 outsourced Community Rehabilitation Companies in England and Wales have voted yes to industrial action over the zero per cent pay offer for 2014.

Let’s make seven day NHS happen but don’t fund it by taking from health staff, says UNISON

Commenting on the Prime Minister’s speech today (Monday) UNISON Head of Health Christina McAnea said:

“The NHS should be able to provide the same quality of care no matter what day of the week a patient is admitted to hospital..

Government must do more to help school support staff deal with difficult behaviour and violent attacks, says UNISON

With challenging behaviour from pupils on the increase, UNISON has published a new guide to help school support staff manage challenging behaviour

Steep rise in registration fees for key health professionals is rushed and unacceptable

UNISON has branded a 12.5 per cent proposed fee increase for professionals covered by the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) as ‘a breach of trust’

More than a quarter of police patrols withdrawn from our streets, says UNISON

More than 1,000 police community support officer (PCSO) jobs in England have been cut every year since 2010, leaving the public with little or no reassurance over safety, according to a UNISON report published today (Tuesday).

UNISON to ballot probation members for industrial action over pay row

Industrial action ballot notices are being issued today (Wednesday) by UNISON to probation employers in England and Wales including the National Probation Service (NPS) and the outsourced Community Rehabilitation Companies.

It’s easy to make promises on public sector pay when inflation is flat-lining, says UNISON

Commenting today (Wednesday) on Liberal Democrat public sector pay proposals, UNISON General Secretary Dave Prentis said:

Problems in Worcester are happening across the NHS, says UNISON

Bad planning, a desperate lack of funds and the ever-growing demand on NHS services led to the crisis situation in Worcestershire Royal Hospital last week, which saw the West Midlands Ambulance Service forced to deploy its ‘disaster doctor’ to help relieve the pressure on the hospital’s overwhelmed A&E department, says UNISON.

UNISON comments on Nicholson’s warning on NHS funding

Commenting today (Thursday) on Sir David Nicholson’s warning on NHS funding, UNISON head of health, Christina McAnea, said: “This government should be ashamed of saving money on the backs of workers who have suffered years of pay freezes and relentless attacks on their living standards.

UNISON comments on Andy Burnham’s speech at its health conference

Speaking at UNISON’s annual health conference in Liverpool today (Wednesday) Andy Burnham shared Labour’s vision for the NHS and said the National Health Service couldn’t survive another five years of a Conservative government.