The abolition of the NHS bursary in England took effect on 1 August 2017. The 2017 Health Conference called on the Health Service Executive Group to “monitor the quality of placements if there are additional training places” among other things. Conference notes that the finalisation of the funding arrangements for clinical placements in England happened […]
Conference motions
Conference notes that NHS Employers are moving more towards agile working. The argument for implementing agile working is to increase productivity and to save money in the face of massive Cost Improvement Programmes forced on to NHS organisations. Conference understands that where agile working is implemented and driven as a measure to cut costs it […]
Bucks Health Care & Community has recognised that there is an inequality in pay banding across the NHS. Many NHS workers are doing similar roles in trusts for different pay; these differences can even be in neighbouring NHS Trusts. The inequality in pay banding becomes more apparent when the job role does not fit the […]
UNISON Health Conference notes: 1)The alarming news that the government is encouraging councils to increase council tax in an attempt to fund massive funding gap in health and social care provision. 2)The King’s Fund has reported that the share of GDP spent on health has dropped from 8.8% in 2009, to 7.3% in 2014/15, and […]
Conference notes that across the UK there are a number of current initiatives seeking to bring about service transformation. These include, but are not limited to, Sustainability and Transformation Plans (STPs) in England, the ten year vision for health and social care based on the Bengoa report in Northern Ireland, and further moves towards more […]
This Conference notes that NHS pay has not kept up with the cost of living. With a fall in pay of approximately 10-12% many regions are having major staffing and recruitment problems. Especially in London and the South East where the cost of living tends to be much higher. For example, Oxfordshire is the most […]
In today’s climate, within the NHS, changes are constantly happening to turn it into a profit making business, and mergers, staff reductions, and other distressing actions have all occurred. Consultations with staff appear to take place on an ad-hoc basis and lack full and meaningful discussions and negotiation. Staff experience new challenges on an almost […]
This conference recognises the critical importance of maintaining and improving standards of cleanliness throughout the NHS with particular emphasis in clinical areas. A quality environment for health care should not be a luxury but an essential element of every patients treatment. UNISON members working in Hospital Cleaning Services have continually shown 100% commitment and professionalism […]
Conference with this Tory led government posing massive threats to our trade union, with the new TU Bill that’s likely to become law this will put greater risks to the excellent partnership working that hospital NHS trusts and trades unions/staff side have built up over the years and worked hard to achieve. Whilst working with […]
Conference recognises that the Government’s commitment to an Austerity Agenda combined with the increasing healthcare demands of an ageing population has led to immense financial and staffing pressures on the NHS. Conference notes that there have been attempts to reduce the Administrative and Clerical workforce, particularly as technological advances have meant that more and more […]
Conference notes that since the introduction of AFC in 2004 UNISON members have benefitted from the implementation of a common set of terms and conditions and equality proofed grading structure. The system of job evaluation implemented alongside AFC was delivered in partnership and implemented with employers and trade unions working together to ensure fairness and […]
Conference is concerned at the distinct lack of training, development and career progression opportunities available to NHS staff working in operational services roles, particularly those in pay bands 1-4. Investment and attention has always been focused on professionally qualified staff but in an NHS with ever changing ways of service delivery, operational services staff need […]
Conference notes that the NHS is employing an increasing number of apprentices. In England for example, there were nearly 15,000 apprentice starts in 2014/15 and Health Education England has set a target for the NHS in England to take on another 17,500 during 2015/16. This figure will increase further following the government’s recent introduction of […]
Conference is appalled at the ongoing under-funding of our NHS. Conference refutes the claims of the Westminster government to have protected the NHS from spending cuts. Conference asserts that since 2010 NHS spending has failed miserably to keep pace with the spiralling costs of healthcare caused by increased demand, an ageing population and expensive new […]
Conference welcomes the report of the Health Service Group Executive’s Devolution Working Group on pay determination across the four countries in the UK. Conference acknowledges that whilst responsibility for determining pay in the UK is a devolved function, UNISON remains committed to maintaining and improving pay for NHS workers across the UK. Conference believes the […]