This Conference notes that many UNISON members employed by Primary Care Trusts are currently going through major reorganisations and job changes as a result of the government’s “Commissioning a Patient-led NHS”and the subsequent reconfiguration of PCTs. In some areas, such as the North East, these changes have been made more complicated by the “smoke and […]
Conference motions
This conference is concerned that nurse prescribing is not being introduced in a properly co-ordinated manner. We therefore call on the Health Group Executive to meet urgently with the Department of Health with a view to the DoH:- 1.Producing guidelines to ensure a common standard of non medical prescribing is provided in all Trusts in […]
Conference notes that a significant number of UNISON health members in learning disability services have been transferred out of the NHS. These members undertake similar roles to before their transfer, often working with the same service users. Staff transferred in this way normally had TUPE protection of their existing terms and conditions, but have generally […]
This Conference believes that a safe working environment is a right for everyone. There is a requirement under “Health & Safety at Work Act 1974” and “The Health & Safety (First-Aid) Regulations 1981” for employers to provide equipment and facilities which are adequate and appropriate in the circumstances for administering first-aid to employees (Regulation 3(1)). […]
The last five years have witnessed a significant and welcome expansion in the commissioning of student nurse training places at UK universities to sustain the NHS nursing workforce. We are now beginning to see, however, a reduction in the availability of monies available to purchase training courses this year and the potential for reductions in […]
Conference notes that a significant number of UNISON health members have not yet had the opportunity to access the Agenda for Change system, particularly those employed in the voluntary sector. Many of these members transferred out of the NHS in areas such as learning disability services on TUPE protected Whitley scales. Some of the staff […]
Conference is appalled that the NHS is still suffering unprecedented devastating attacks from the government in terms of cuts and marketisation. In view of this, Conference censures the Health Service Group Executive for failing to carry out 2006 Health Conference Policy, as resolved in Motion 11, to organise a national demonstration on the issue of […]
Conference welcomes the implementation of Agenda for Change (AfC) for Soft Facilities Management (FM) staff employed by private contractors and sees this as the minimum rate for all staff working in the NHS irrespective of employer. However we recognise that this agreement does not cover members employed in Hard FM and asks that negotiation continue […]
Conference believes that the huge increase in the Nurses and Midwifery Council registration is unacceptable. The NMC can not justify nor demonstrate such a huge increase, nor do we as registrants have confidence that we are receiving value for money. All too often when the NMC are contacted by registered nurses who raise concerns regarding […]
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 […]
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 […]
The Government’s so-called reforms of the NHS are gathering pace and are preparing the way for more privatisation. On 28 July UNISON reps in the Prescription Pricing Division (PPD) of the NHS Business Services Authority (NHSBSA) were informed that the PPD is looking at options to privatise the services. This is in addition to the […]
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 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 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 […]