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Who do people see when they think of NHS staff?

Probably doctors, nurses and paramedics. But there are hundreds of thousands of people working in non-clinical support roles as part of one NHS team to deliver excellent patient care, both directly and indirectly.

After all, where would our NHS be without the porters who move patients, cleaners who keep wards safe, catering staff who offer nutritious meals, laundry staff who keep infection at bay, security staff who make everyone safe, maintenance staff who make sure essential equipment works, and admin staff who keep the whole show on the road?

One Team Awards

In autumn 2023 we launched our very first One Team Awards, to honour members who deserve recognition for their work in non-clinical and operational services support roles. We received nearly 800 nominations, so a heartfelt thank you to everyone who took the time to nominate a colleague!

Our judging panel met on 5 March 2024 to select the three winners, and we hope to share their stories very soon. The panel was blown away by the standard of nominations, and the task of whittling down almost 800 entries was no mean feat. The passion that nominees had for their work shone through, as did the enormous respect and admiration people felt for the colleagues they nominated.

The winners’ nominators have now been notified, so if you haven’t heard from us, unfortunately your nominee was not selected this time. Please do consider sharing your wonderful comments with the person you nominated!

How does UNISON campaign for NHS support staff?

As the main union for support staff across the NHS, UNISON believes it is time that members of the public and politicians understand the role they play in delivering quality patient care. We think it’s unfair that they don’t get the recognition they so clearly deserve.

  • We promote the message that all staff, no matter what they do, play an important part in caring for patients.
  • We campaign to ensure that the NHS and its staff remain in the public sector.
  • We campaign to remove the false divide when politicians talk about ‘frontline’ and ‘back office’ NHS staff.
  • We promote the value of our support staff by campaigning against any attacks which attempt to devalue the work they do and underplay the role they play in patient care.

Join today so that you have a voice in the largest union in the NHS and can be part of our campaign.

Latest

UNISON launches its One Team Awards for NHS staff

New awards will honour members working in non-clinical support and operational services

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A victory in UNISON’s campaign for nutritious and affordable food for hospital workers

Public don’t want NHS staff outsourced to private companies

Workers should stay within NHS, survey shows

Nursing associates a ‘fantastic addition’ to the NHS team

Nursing and Midwifery Council’s Andrea Sutcliffe praises the new members of the register – and launches development of five-year strategy at health conference

Margaret Canavan – a true health hero

Belfast ward housekeeper and UNISON member named ‘operational support worker of the year’ at prestigious awards ceremony

Get ready for One Team Day

Join us as we highlight and recognise the vital role played by the whole healthcare team on One Team Day on 15 November 2023.

One Team Day is a chance to showcase the importance of the work of NHS support staff, particularly those working in operational services. UNISON organises One Team Day each year as part of our One Team campaign to recognise the porters, cleaners, admin and clerical staff, catering staff and all support workers who work tirelessly in the NHS, often without the recognition they deserve.

We want to make sure that every role is recognised for its vital contribution to patient care and that our amazing NHS support staff are celebrated across the health service.

You can order from the UNISON Shop – you’ll find leaflets, postcards, badges, stickers, T-shirts, bags, pens and more.

Visit the shop