NHS and Local Government leaders have announced a shared commitment to ‘close the gap’ between the health and care systems. A series of pilot projects will begin in the autumn of 2013 to explore new ways of pooling budgets, speeding up discharge from hospital and conducting assessments. This initiative is to be welcomed – if […]
Conference motions
Modern day packaging of many types of medication is becoming increasingly difficult for elderly people to cope with, in particular the ‘bubble strip’ type packaging of tablets. This type of packaging often results in the user suffering finger cuts and sometimes the destruction of the capsule encased in the ‘bubble’. In addition to difficulties with […]
This Conference considers that the Trades Union Congress (TUC) Pensioners’ Committee is not as effective as it could be and that as a result the TUC sometimes fails to gain pensioners’ support for its aims and campaigns etc. Conference considers the committee would be more effective if: 1)Its constitution and purpose were clearer and more […]
Conference notes that the median income of a woman pensioner is less than two thirds that of a man and that two thirds of pensioners living below the poverty line are women. This shocking injustice is the result of lifelong discrimination at work. In general compared to men women earn less so they save less […]
This Conference notes the referendum on Independence for Scotland will be held on 18 September 2014 and if carried it is likely Independence will be gained in 2016 – less than 3 years from now to totally separate the existing integrated financial systems and set up new systems for both Scotland and England/Wales/Northern Ireland. Even […]
UNISON members in Northern Ireland are on the frontline of defence of the National Health Service. The Tory-led coalition’s strategy in Great Britain to weaken the provision of good health care by extracting billions of pounds in cuts has set the template for the Northern Ireland Assembly’s response to the cut in the block grant […]
Conference believes that the Equality Delivery System is a national programme designed by the NHS Equality and Diversity Council (Now the NHS Personal, Fair and Diverse Council) to ensure NHS compliance with the Equality Act 2010 and to help reduce inequalities in health and the workplace. The Equality Delivery System aims to move responsibility for […]
Conference believes Stonewall is the largest LGB (lesbian, gay and bisexual) charity in the UK. Stonewall has been instrumental in LGB campaigns over the last two decades on issues such as section 28, civil partnerships, adoption rights for LGB parents and campaigns for workplace protection based on sexual orientation. Stonewall has good communication with all […]
Conference believes transgender people have an extra level of legal protection when it comes to data in regards to their identity. It can be a criminal offence to not secure a transgender person’s identity data that you have obtained in a professional capacity. A breach of duty in regards to transgender staff or patient’s data […]
Conference notes with concern the many negative effects of the fragmentation of the NHS in England brought about by the NHS & Social Care Act 2012. Two aspects which have had less attention than some are the impact on NHS workforce planning and on training for NHS staff. Conference believes that if the NHS is […]
Recent times have witnessed a slew of criticism being laid at the door of the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC), the regulator for nurses and midwives. To summarise but a few of these issues: i)The organisation was roundly criticized for striking off nurse Margaret Heywood for her role in covert filming of care that exposed […]
UNISON has argued strongly over the last year that moving towards regional pay will be damaging to local economies, to NHS patients and to our members. Conference continues to oppose regional pay for the following key reasons: i)Regional pay will drive down pay in lower cost areas of the country. ii)Regional pay will lead to […]
Conference believes there is no place for transphobia or discrimination on the grounds of gender identity in our healthcare workplaces, society or our union. Conference notes with concern that transphobic discrimination and bullying and harassment of trans people is still far too common. Conference welcomes the examples of good practice that exist within healthcare. For […]
This Conference is concerned to learn that there is increasing evidence of sickness management policies and capability procedures being used against disabled UNISON members. Disabled health members are of the view that employer policies and practices such as use of the Bradford Factor fail to reflect absences related to disability and can lead to instances […]
Conference notes that these are unprecedented times for the nursing profession. Across the UK nursing staff have faced attacks on not only their numbers but on their caring and compassionate skills. Depending on which newspaper you read it would appear that the nurses in general have turned into heartless unfeeling providers of care. Of course […]