Conference notes that far from being the best ever year the last 12 months have been one of the worst for the NHS and its workforce. We have seen Trust after Trust facing a financial crisis whilst at the same time more public money than ever is pouring into the private health sector. It is […]
Conference motions
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 […]
Conference notes the recommendations contained in the Report of the Review of NHS Pathology Services in England chaired by Lord Carter of Coles and published in August 2006 including: ·The establishment of managed pathology networks; ·Instigating formal service level agreements within trusts between laboratories and clinical departments; ·Empowering commissioners of pathology services to have greater […]
This conference welcomes the establishment of the TUC and non-TUC Health Trade Unions ‘NHS Together’ campaign which in conjunction with the UNISON ‘Say YES to 5 Healthier Options’ campaign provides a campaigning strategy to keep the NHS working in the public sector. This conference supports and applauds the leadership role provided by UNISON’s Healthcare Service […]
Conference welcomes the new rights for parents and carers to be introduced in the Work and Families Act, which will come into force in April 2007. It notes that parents and carers struggling to achieve work life balance will now be able to take advantage of the following improvements: §Statutory Maternity Pay, Maternity Allowance and […]
This Conference notes with concern the Department of Health’s (DoH) rollout of its Decontamination Strategy and sees this as a further step in the privatisation and marketisation of services in the NHS. In a national survey of decontamination services carried out by the DoH in 2001 it found that there were 182 acute NHS Trusts […]
Conference recognises the fact that Ambulance workers, particularly those on the front line, have one of the highest incidences of ill-health retirement in the NHS. Some of the causes of this are inherent in the job, as lifting heavy patients in confined spaces and attending emergencies at insecure locations cannot be avoided without severely compromising […]
Around 64% of people would choose to die at home if they had a terminal illness and yet a little over 20% actually do so. In fact, 56% of people die in hospital, though that is the preference of only 11% of the population. Clearly, the healthcare system is failing to meet patients’ wishes in […]
Conference notes the financial difficulties currently facing the NHS and the effect that this is having on staffing levels. Conference expresses its concern that job freezes within the NHS are having a profound effect on the number of jobs available for new graduates in the health professions, including those completing their training in occupational therapy. […]
Conference notes that the NHS Knowledge and Skills Framework is a system that defines and describes the knowledge and skills which NHS staff need to apply in their work in order to deliver quality services. It provides a single, consistent, comprehensive and explicit framework on which to base review and development for all staff and […]
Conference welcomes the excellent work of the primary care campaign to date and recognises the importance of the work already underway within UNISON to develop a training programme for stewards in primary care settings. Conference recognises the difficulties involved in recruiting potential members within primary care trusts, which are often dispersed over wide geographical areas, […]
Conference acknowledges the significant progress made by the union in recent years in improving pay, terms and conditions for the overwhelming majority of UNISON members working in the NHS. This progress includes: ·The Agenda for Change agreement that harmonised terms and conditions for all NHS workers (excluding doctors and dentists) ·An equality proofed pay structure […]
2007 marks a significant step forward for the equalities agenda, with a raft of legislation being introduced – we have already seen the Employment Equality (Age) Regulations 2006, which have had a direct impact on staff. Equality issues are one area of work where we can work jointly in partnership with employers to establish best […]
Conference notes the Government’s intention for all English NHS Trusts to attain Foundation status by 2008. It further notes that the pace and number of Trusts applying for Foundation status is increasing. UNISON maintains a position of opposition to Foundation Trusts (FTs) and recognises that the additional freedoms granted to FTs can potentially undermine not […]
Conference welcomes UNISON’s excellent work in highlighting the issue of bullying and harassment. Bullying and harassment is one of the leading causes of stress and ill health in the workplace. Bullying is unacceptable, offensive, intimidating, malicious, insulting or humiliating behavior. It is an abuse of power that attempts to undermine staff. Harassment is conduct that […]