UNISON – the lead union for ambulance staff

Ambulance services will be at the forefront of the preventative health treatment agenda and branches will need to be able to support members working in new and untested areas of provision – from paramedics using new prescribing powers; to control and dispatch staff advising on care pathways; and planned care staff being moved across to […]

The NHS Cannot Afford An Immigration Cap

Conference notes the positive effect migration has had on the NHS, in fact almost since its inception the NHS has relied on migrant workers, when in 1949 a recruitment campaign targeted nurses and doctors from the Caribbean, Malaysia as well as other parts of the Commonwealth. They were recruited after the war to combat the […]

Secure Communication

Conference supports achieving secure communications for health branches engaging in times of industrial dispute. Activists must be safe in the knowledge that what they are communicating is secure and cannot be easily intercepted. In these modern times we rely on communication methods that our employing organisations control. As we have seen in recent media investigations […]

Defending Agenda for Change for LGBT workers

Conference believes that Agenda for Change is living proof of the benefits of national collective bargaining and represents a major achievement for UNISON. Conference is appalled by current attempts to undermine Agenda for Change, with the proposals to give individual NHS Trusts the so-called ‘freedom’ to develop local terms and conditions. Conference notes that Agenda […]

Regulation

UNISON fully supports the principle of public protection and we value the unique contribution our members play in caring for the most vulnerable in our society. We believe that public protection can best be served when it is risk-based and proportionate. UNISON reaffirms its policy that professional registration fees should be proportionate and related to […]

Training and development: crucial to the NHS

This Conference believes that proper training and development opportunities are essential for all those working for the NHS, regardless of what function they perform, if it is to maintain the standards crucial to the care of patients. For young staff, particularly those working in ancillary and administrative roles, looking to having careers in the NHS […]

Our NHS, Our Future

This conference welcomes the UNISON survey of young workers in the NHS on the subject of career progression and attitudes to employment and future employment prospects in the service. This conference notes that while interim results indicate many young workers have positive experiences of employment and training, 60% of respondents feel they do not have […]

UK Conference Review

Annual Health Conference is the prime policy event and platform for UNISON to showcase UNISON campaigns and activities in defence of the NHS, its users and the staff who deliver key services. To ensure the continued effectiveness of the event, Conference calls on the Service Group Executive to review the duration, format and content of […]

Privatisation and the NHS Business Services Authority

Conference recognises the misleading publicity by the Government around their commitment to protect front line services in the NHS. We know the NHS is not safe in their hands and cuts to jobs and services, along with increased privatisation will all be a consequence of their policies. Nowhere is this more apparent than in the […]

Fairness and equality for Pharmacy technicians

The role and expertise of Pharmacy technicians have changed dramatically over the past number of years. However the skills and expertise required by Pharmacy technicians has not been properly recognised by the qualifications that the post should require. The first Pharmacy technicians were introduced in N. Ireland in 1975. At that time the qualifications for […]

Health and Safety Enforcement

Last year this conference welcomed the findings of the Boorman Report which highlighted the importance of: 1)The health & well being of NHS staff and the link between this and positive patient outcomes 2)Good quality occupational health services 3)Early interventions aimed at tackling the underlying causes of ill health and injury in the NHS such […]

NHS Knowledge & Skills Framework and Learning in the NHS

Conference notes that the NHS Knowledge and Skills Framework (KSF) is the tool that supports career and pay progression for all NHS staff on Agenda for Change contracts. As an integral part of Agenda for Change, the KSF gives staff a contractual right to access learning and development opportunities at work. Conference recognises that, whilst […]

Partnership Working in Difficult Times

Conference believes that the greatest test of the effectiveness of social partnership between governments, employers and trade unions is whether it can deliver real gains for staff and patients in difficult times. Conference recognises that, since 1997, partnership working has delivered real benefits for NHS staff and helped improve patient care, in all four countries […]

Targeted Organising and Recruitment

Conference notes that the NHS in England is witnessing one of the most radical reform agendas ever and public service cuts are beginning to hit health services hard in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. These challenges will have a huge impact on less organised workplaces where non-unionised staff density is high. Conference also notes that, […]

Equalities

Conference acknowledges the work which has taken place to ensure that the Equalities Act was implemented on the 1st October 2010. However, we are disappointed that the government has sought to dilute elements of the agenda which could have ensured equity for a number of individuals. We welcome the establishment and commitment which the Department […]