- Conference
- 2007 Health Care Service Group Conference
- Date
- 22 December 2006
- Decision
- Carried
The NHS is in crisis. Much of the government’s injection of additional investment has ended up in the pockets of private companies. The end result of government policies has been job losses, cuts, closures and privatisation.
Women form the majority of the workforce in the NHS, and are also disproportionately represented in lower grade jobs where many of the cuts have fallen. The impact of the job losses often means the staff who are left have to work longer shifts and unsocial working patterns. This impacts on women’s work-life balance and family life.
In addition, in some areas up to 50% of student nurses cannot find jobs when they graduate, and again the majority of student nurses are women. Women employees in the NHS are therefore disproportionately affected by NHS cuts and closures.
Women as carers are also disproportionately affected by the cuts. In mental health services, for example, large numbers of beds are being cut which often places additional pressures on women who have to care for their family members. The same points can be applied across other sectors of the NHS, which often results in women carers filling the gaps for services that should be provided by the public sector.
Conference therefore calls upon the Service Group Executive to work to ensure:
1.that all NHS job losses and restructurings are subject to gender impact assessments to assess the affect on women employees;
2.that all health branches are aware of the potential of the Gender Equality Duty to improve the working lives of women by addressing issues such as occupational segregation, promoting and managing flexible working; ensuring high level part time work and supporting part time workers; managing leave for parents and carers.