Stranded Health Staff

Conference expresses its sympathy to those health workers and their families that have become stranded abroad due to the flight restrictions caused by the Icelandic volcano. However, Conference has become increasingly concerned at reports from NHS Trusts and other NHS employers that staff who are stranded and phoning in are being told that they will […]

NHS Pay Strategy

Conference recognises that the political and economic challenges facing the NHS across the UK in the immediate future and the longer term require UNISON to develop a coherent strategy for both defending and improving future pay, terms and conditions. Whilst there are increasing differences in the way in which the four UK administrations choose to […]

Mid Staffordshire NHS Foundation Trust

UNISON welcomes the report by Robert Francis QC into the care that patients received at Mid Staffordshire NHS Foundation Trust between 2005 and 2009. The report published on 24 February 2010 makes harrowing reading for patients, staff and the service. The Francis report supports many of the findings of the Healthcare Commission (now the Care […]

Defend our NHS Family Health Services

This Conference notes that: 1)At a meeting with NHS Derby City – Family Health Services staff, held on Tuesday 6th April 2010, proposals were presented to outsource all Family Health Services (FHS) functions in the East Midlands, to NHS Shared Business Services (SBS): thereby creating a real threat to jobs and services across the nine […]

National Campaign for a Public NHS

2010 is a general election year and politicians from all parties will want to claim they have the NHS’ interests at heart and services will be safe with them. In reality the staff know that services have been trimmed and cut over many years now and bear no resemblance to the holistic care package that […]

Million Voices in Defence of the NHS

Conference notes UNISON’s long-established policy of opposition and resistance to privatisation and marketisation in the NHS. We continue to lead the way in challenging government reforms that threaten to undermine the NHS through increased competition and greater private sector involvement in health care. UNISON branches and members have been at the forefront of campaigns over […]

Protection of Agenda for Change Terms and Conditions

This conference is concerned about the growing numbers of staff who are being downgraded following organisational changes within NHS trusts. Conference notes that UNISON fought long and hard to get a new set of terms and conditions in the health service. Agenda for Change is a UK wide, nationally negotiated agreement which delivers equality for […]

KSF and Learning in the NHS

Conference notes that the NHS Knowledge and Skills Framework (KSF) is the custom-built development tool that supports career and pay progression for all NHS staff on Agenda for Change contracts. As an integral part of Agenda for Change, the KSF gives staff a contractual right to access learning and development opportunities at work. Conference recognises […]

Organising and Recruitment

Conference welcomes and endorses the Million Voices for Public Services campaign, which highlights that UNISON members care passionately about the services they provide and want to see changes that put people before profit and public interest before private greed. As the largest trade union in health, UNISON is best placed to ensure that those working […]

Partnership Working and Twin Track Approach

Conference welcomes the achievements that partnership working at national, regional and local level has brought over the past decade. UNISON has worked to pioneer partnership working throughout the NHS and in all four countries of the UK. The experience has shown conclusively that partnership can deliver real gains for health staff and union members as […]

PART OF THE TEAM – RECOGNITION FOR CLEANERS IN THE NHS

Conference recognises and welcomes the ongoing campaign to gain recognition for cleaners in the NHS as part of the healthcare team. Initiatives such as the successful UNISON Cleaners Conference 2009 and Clean Hospitals Committees help raise the profile of Cleaners and demonstrate how they play an integral part in patient safety and care. UNISON sponsored […]

THE PREFERRED PROVIDER AND NHS PRIVATISATION

Conference broadly welcome the setting of some limits to the privatisation of NHS services set out in the Secretary of State’s speech to the Kings Fund in September 2009, and the agreement through the NHS Social Partnership Forum which followed. Conference is however concerned that a number of drivers towards privatisation such as the Framework […]

COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT FOR HEALTH BRANCHES

Conference notes the interest in reciprocal community unionism within UNISON and at the fringe meeting at last year’s health conference. Internationally, it has been persuasively argued that trade unions face a legitimacy crisis. There is a pressing need for our union to project an identity and mission that has an impact in communities beyond our […]

SECURITY AND PRIVACY IN INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

This Conference demands that the Service Group Executive approach NHS Employers for the purpose of negotiating an NHS wide policy agreement on Security and Privacy of Information Technology to include best practice guidance on access to employees’ data respecting privacy and ending cavalier practices within IT departments. UNISON to provide training programs to ensure branches […]

SOCIAL ENTERPRISE BOARD

The Bury St Edmunds & District Health Branch of UNISON applauds NHS Bedfordshire for balloting its staff on their proposal to set up a Social Enterprise Board. NHS Bedfordshire needed 51% in favour of the proposal, but the staff had other ideas and responded with a magnificent 97% vote against, in a 98% turnout. Conference […]