Travel costs following organisational change

Conference calls on the HSGE to raise the issue of travel costs following organisational change at the NHS Staff Council. We believe that staff forced to relocate as a result of organisational change should 1. Be paid a full realistic cost for the additional travel incurred. 2. Be compensated for any additional costs such as […]

‘Special Class’ status in NHS pensions for front line ambulance staff

The NHS currently has two pension schemes operating. The “NHS Pension Scheme” has been offered to all staff who joined the NHS before 31 March 2008. The “New NHS Pension Scheme” has been offered to all staff joining since 1 April 2008. Staff in the original ‘NHS Pension Scheme’ have a one off option of […]

Organising Members in Mental Health services

Conference recognises that nationally Mental Health services have been underfunded for many years, and still remain a ‘Cinderella’ service in the NHS. One effect of this is that mental health workers are not seen as having a high status within the NHS, and other health workers may have little knowledge or understanding of their position. […]

Provision of post-exposure prophylaxis against HIV infection

This Conference reiterates the importance of health and safety at work as a key concern for our members working in the health service and continues to place this at the heart of our organising and negotiating agenda for health workers. Conference notes that needlestick injuries are a common issue of concern for many staff groups […]

Devolution

Conference welcomes the progress made in effecting Motion 59 from Conference 2008. The Service Group Executive has established an effective sub group which has catalogued a series of recommendations to ensure with the compliance with the protocol raised in 2004 in line with Rule D 2.9.5. The Health sector has also fed into the overarching […]

Subsistence and Overnight Allowances for NHS Staff

Conference passed a motion in 2006 that asked the Service Group Executive to call on the NHS Staff Council to address the lack of increase to subsistence and overnight allowances for staff. The motion requested that as a matter of urgency, they consider: i.Raising subsistence allowances to the level they would have reached if year-on-year […]

Gender Recognition – two steps forward, one step back

Conference notes that for a relatively small number of people, the gender they are assigned at birth does not match their internal sense of where they exist in relation to being female or male – their gender identity. Some transition to live permanently and completely in the gender with which they identify. Conference further notes […]

Cervical Cancer Screening for Women NHS Staff

Despite health service measures to encourage women to attend cervical cancer screening sessions, the number of women being screened has dropped significantly, with the number of women aged 25-64 dying from cervical cancer increasing by 6.4% during 2007. Research in December 2008 has also shown that there is a clear link between income and cervical […]

Endometriosis and Women NHS Staff

It is estimated that 10-15% of women suffering gynaecological problems have endometriosis, a chronic and debilitating disease which impacts on women’s lives, causing pain, heavy periods and infertility. The majority of cases are diagnosed when women are between the ages of 25 and 40 – when they are likely to be part of the working […]

Nursing and Health Care Internationalism

Conference notes the incredibly moving contribution last year from Dorothy Ngoma, of the National Organisation of Nurses and Midwives of Malawi: an organisation set up with the support of UNISON. The hardships faced by our colleagues in health care in the developing world and the patients they serve are immense, complicated, saddening but avoidable with […]

Implementation of Lord Darzi’s Next Stage Review

Conference notes that in July 2008, the government set out its vision for the NHS in England over the next 10 years in Lord Darzi’s ‘High Quality Care for All.’ This was published alongside a draft NHS Constitution and a staff document entitled A High Quality Workforce. Conference welcomes the positive aspects of the review […]

Recommissioning of Supported Living Services

Health Conference notes that East Lancashire PCT proposes to recommission the Supported Living Service for Burnley, Pendle and Rossendale, which will be the outsourcing of this service to either independent provider(s), or following the social enterprise model, (unless there is a successful in-house Trust bid), for some or all of the 32 houses affected by […]

Pay, Terms and Conditions

Conference notes that across the UK, Health workers are experiencing the effects of changes to the funding and organisation of the NHS and the structures for delivering healthcare. There are increasing differences in the way in which the four UK administrations choose to organise health care and in England there is increasing use of the […]

Organising Approaches in the NHS

Conference notes the recent pilot organising project in the Greater London Region and congratulates the region on their work to encourage different and innovative approaches to organising health workers. Conference notes that the project, based on the model used by the Harvard Union of Clerical and Technical Workers, highlighted the dedication of health workers to […]

Travel to Work

UNISON recognises the importance of all organisations playing their part in reducing the carbon footprint. Conference in particular notes and applauds UNISON’s “Greening the Workplace” campaign and in particular its work in promoting greener staff travel plans. UNISON notes the ·NHS Carbon Reduction Strategy and its commitment to reduce its emissions by 60 per cent […]