- Conference
- 2018 Health Care Service Group Conference
- Date
- 4 December 2017
- Decision
- Carried
Conference applauds the work done by our union on highlighting the need for increased staff-to-patient ratios, including the 2017 “Safe Staffing” survey.
However, conference is concerned to note that reports from NHS staff working in the community, the majority of whom are women, suggest that they are subject to the same levels of stress and staff shortages as their colleagues in hospitals.
These members report that:
• Staff sickness due to workplace stress is commonplace;
• Staff regularly work unpaid overtime;
• Administrative tasks are undertaken in staffs’ own time, at home, to the detriment of family life;
• Scheduled breaks are rarely taken;
• Whilst time off in lieu is technically possible, it is never taken as there are insufficient staff to cover absence.
Staff “wellbeing” measures, whilst well-intentioned, do nothing to alleviate the pressure of working in these conditions, and staff’s physical and mental health inevitably suffers.
Conference calls upon the Service Group Executive to:
1)conduct research into safe staffing for our NHS members working in the community;
2)use the results to highlight the unsafe working conditions for our members;
3)continue to campaign for safe staffing levels for all NHS staff.