Integrated Care – Recruitment, Organising and Campaign Strategy

Conference notes the recent moves towards increasing the integration between health and social care in government policy in Scotland, England and Wales and notes that health care and social care are already fully integrated in Northern Ireland. Conference is concerned that moves towards further integration may have a huge impact on staff terms and conditions […]

Protection of Lone Workers in Community Healthcare

Conference notes the vulnerability of community health care professionals whilst working autonomously in the community environment. The visibility of staff in uniform can lead to members of the public perceiving staff as carrying valuable supplies. The lack of protection for health professionals in this environment has resulted in staff being physically & verbally attacked, threatened […]

Darzi Report

Conference acknowledges that the tone and content of much of the report Our NHS Our Future is positive for the future development of the NHS and represents something of a shift in recent government policy towards healthcare provision. The vision presented by Lord Darzi of an NHS that is safe, personalised to individual needs, and […]

Rights of Trade Unionists to Speak Out

Recognising the disgraceful attacks in 2007 on the rights of trade unionists to speak out about service cuts, privatisation and detrimental service changes, this conference calls on the Health Service Group Executive to, through the NHS Staff Council, seek to negotiate a national agreement which protects this right. Conference is concerned that currently where a […]

Access to Learning and Development

Conference notes the re-launch of the Knowledge and Skills Framework which accompanied the 2007 pay settlement for England. Conference recognises that the original intention of KSF was to provide learning and career development for all NHS staff rather than a small proportion of staff using the majority of the training budget. At a time when […]

NHS 60th Anniversary Celebrations

Conference notes that 5 July 2008 marks the 60th Anniversary of the creation of the National Health Service. When the UK’s National Health Service came into operation in 1948, it was the first time anywhere in the world that completely free healthcare was made available on the basis of citizenship rather than ability to pay. […]

UNISON’s Equality Scheme and the Bargaining Agenda

Conference notes the creation of the UNISON Equality Scheme which promotes good practice in mainstreaming equalities issues throughout the union. At a time when UNISON is pressurising employers to fully implement the public sector equalities duties it is important to hold our own processes to similar levels of scrutiny. Conference calls on the Health Service […]

Employment Agencies in the NHS

Conference notes the excellent article in the November 2007 edition of UNISON In-Focus magazine concerning the TUC Campaign “Speaking up for Vulnerable Workers.” Conference notes. It is quite likely a large number of the figure estimated in the article (ranging from 250,000 to a million) work covering Agency, Casual and Migrant workers are employed in […]

Organising & Bargaining in the Community and Voluntary Sector

Conference notes that, despite strong campaigning by UNISON, pay and conditions for our members in the community and voluntary sector (CVS) are inferior to those in the NHS. As CVS organisations provide an increasing number of core public services and this gap becomes more acute, it becomes increasingly unacceptable both for our members and for […]