REGULATION OF HEALTH CARE STAFF AND SERVICES

Conference notes that members in the health service are facing a wide range of regulatory reforms. Conference recognises the contribution of UNISON’s Professional Service Unit in taking forward issues regarding the regulation of health care staff including providing professional representation, working with regulators and creating links and innovative partnerships with professional organisations. Conference is aware […]

HEALTH AND SAFETY

Conference notes the findings of the Boorman Review including: ·The large number of staff that continue to attend work while feeling unwell; ·The connection between staff health & wellbeing and standards of care; ·The connections between staff health & wellbeing and the public health agenda; ·The importance of investing in high quality occupational health services; […]

ABUSE OF BAND 4 ASSOCIATE PRACTITIONERS

Conference notes with dismay how band 4 Associate Practitioners are being abused in some of our NHS hospitals and departments. This role of Associate Practitioner was introduced to utilise the experience of HCAs giving them the opportunity to progress in the workplace and means for the NHS to overcome future shortages in the nursing workforce […]

SICKNESS ABSENCE IN THE NHS

Conference notes the potential for lack of funding in healthcare and other associated Organisations, due to the broad financial restraints, which will impact upon and cut across all public sector budgets. Large employing organisations are required by Health and Safety law to work with recognised UNISON Health and Safety Officers to reduce the burden of […]

HIV HAS NOT GONE AWAY

This conference notes from the HIV & AIDS in the North West of England 2008 Report, that there has been an increase of 13 % of people newly diagnosed with HIV in the North West between 2007 and 2008. For the same period, there is a 24% increase in Lancashire. Overall there has been an […]

KEEP AMBULANCE SERVICES IN THE NHS

This conference has major concerns over Ambulance trusts using inappropriate methods in responding to 999 calls including: ·Excessive deployment of Community Responders ·Use of the unregulated voluntary and private sector. The concept of Community or First Responders was initiated to widen the availability of early defibrillation in immediately life threatening situations in areas that were […]

WORKING WITH OTHER PROFESSIONAL HEALTHCARE ORGANISATIONS

This conference notes the Health Service Group Executive (HSGE) proposals within the UNISON structures review. To further the proposed changes and maximise the potential for occupational networks to influence the professional agenda in health, conference calls on the HSGE to draft a model for partnership working with existing professional bodies in healthcare encompassing: ·Administrative and […]

EQUALITY IN HEALTHCARE REGULATORY REGISTRATION FEES

This conference is concerned at the different and varied rates charged to registrants by health professional regulatory bodies for essentially the same service. Further, conference notes that none of these bodies have a system of pro-rata registration fees for part-time health workers nor a system based on affordability to pay. As health regulation spreads across […]

THE SEVEN YEAR GAP

Your most probably wondering what does the title of this motion actually refer to, well, it is the present age gap of seven years, between the age of 18-25 years. Eighteen years being the upper limit that the HPV vaccination is presenting being offered in our schools to young women and twenty five years in […]

WOMEN AND PENSIONS

This Conference notes with alarm the increasing and unwarranted attacks on public sector pensions. Whilst it is true to say that a growing gap between public and private sector pensions caused by the employer retreat from decent pensions in the private sector, it is wrong to conclude that the answer is to level down public […]

RAPE CRISIS MAINSTREAM FUNDING PROVISION

Conference applauds the National Women’s Committee on work done to date to support the work of Rape Crisis however there is still more work to be done. Conference believes that rape crisis centres are essential and believe that there should be adequate government funding for the centres to operate. For example, there is only one […]

EQUALITY IMPACT ASSESSMENTS

This Conference notes that the introduction of the public sector duties represented a step change in how employers delivering public services must address inequalities. Equality impact assessments (EIAs) play a key role in the implementation of the duties and they are a legal requirement for authorities covered by specific duties. They aim to ensure that […]

INVESTMENT IN HARDCORE PORNOGRAPHY

This Conference is concerned at the growing body of evidence supplied by media investigation, that major corporations such as Vodaphone, BT, Sky and Amazon are benefiting in some way from the trade in hardcore pornography and that UNISON members’ pension funds may be invested in companies with an involvement in a trade which is based […]

WOMEN UNITED AGAINST FASCISM

Conference expresses concern at the rise of the BNP and other far-right groups, such as the English Defence League, who are organising throughout the UK, claiming to be the voice of British people. Conference affirms that we will not sit back and allow far-right organisations to enter mainstream politics as has happened in some other […]

RETURNING TO WORK AFTER MATERNITY LEAVE

Conference welcomes the raft of legislation in recent years that has been introduced and refined around maternity provision for women which has benefited thousands of women and their families. However, many women choosing to return to work after having children can often find this difficult both emotionally and practically. Whilst on maternity leave, even just […]