Conference notes that by the financial year 2013/14 the total amount of money to be repaid by NHS Trusts to PFI consortia will be £2.3 billion a year, with a total debt of £90 billion over the duration of the schemes. This increased pressure on valuable NHS resources will come at a time when the […]
Conference motions
This Conference notes the increasing challenges facing the nursing and midwifery family workforce. Following the Darzi Review nurses are being subjected to increasing scrutiny. They are expected to demonstrate their contribution to patient and service-level outcomes, using yet to be fully determined metrics, which are based mainly on the negative elements of care for example […]
Conference notes that in the current financial climate many NHS organisations are not taking into account the valuable role therapy services play in delivering efficient, cost-effective and patient-centred services. Many NHS organisations need to make significant financial savings, causing them to cut therapy services and freeze vacant posts. This short-sighted approach fails to recognise the […]
Conference recognises and welcomes the ongoing campaign to gain recognition for cleaners in the NHS as part of the healthcare team. Initiatives such as the successful UNISON Cleaners Conference 2009 and Clean Hospitals Committees help raise the profile of Cleaners and demonstrate how they play an integral part in patient safety and care. UNISON sponsored […]
Conference broadly welcome the setting of some limits to the privatisation of NHS services set out in the Secretary of State’s speech to the Kings Fund in September 2009, and the agreement through the NHS Social Partnership Forum which followed. Conference is however concerned that a number of drivers towards privatisation such as the Framework […]
Conference notes the interest in reciprocal community unionism within UNISON and at the fringe meeting at last year’s health conference. Internationally, it has been persuasively argued that trade unions face a legitimacy crisis. There is a pressing need for our union to project an identity and mission that has an impact in communities beyond our […]
This Conference demands that the Service Group Executive approach NHS Employers for the purpose of negotiating an NHS wide policy agreement on Security and Privacy of Information Technology to include best practice guidance on access to employees’ data respecting privacy and ending cavalier practices within IT departments. UNISON to provide training programs to ensure branches […]
The Bury St Edmunds & District Health Branch of UNISON applauds NHS Bedfordshire for balloting its staff on their proposal to set up a Social Enterprise Board. NHS Bedfordshire needed 51% in favour of the proposal, but the staff had other ideas and responded with a magnificent 97% vote against, in a 98% turnout. Conference […]
This Conference is concerned to learn from the Disabled Members Self Organised Group that inappropriate attendance management policies and lack of understanding about legal duties under the Disability Discrimination Act to provide reasonable adjustments by the employer is resulting in disability discrimination against disabled members. In particular we are concerned that discrimination is leading to […]
The last part of the UK negotiations on Agenda For Change is the review of on-call payments. Since 2004 there has been a difficult situation of protected local and Whitley agreements sitting alongside the Agenda For Change Scheme which provide for a wide range of differing payments. Discontent around this issue among many frontline staff […]
The National Nursing Sector recognises the unique and valuable contribution which healthcare assistants and all of their differing job titles, make to patient care. You are an essential part of the nursing team. However it has been clear for some time that a small number of organisations are expecting more and more commitment from Health […]
This Conference notes the excellent work of UNISON’s Health & Safety unit including its guidance on compliance of sickness absence agreements with current legislation, including the Disability Discrimination Act, based on research by the Bradford University School of Management. However Conference notes that there appears to be a growing trend towards dismissals due to an […]
Would ask the SGE to re-affirm it’s commitment in opposing the so – called re-tendering of contracts dressed up as best practises as it is divisive, it impacts on a range of issues. 1)Staff being transferred or TUPE’d, which opens up an array of problems. Like work bases and conditions of service. 2)If the bid […]
Conference acknowledges the potential of the Knowledge and Skills Framework (KSF) to support NHS staff to identify and meet their development needs. Conference also notes that equality and diversity, including human rights applications, is one of the core dimensions in the KSF for all staff. Conference believes this is a vital tool for building a […]
Conference welcomes the commitment won by UNISON from the employers to partnership working to keep the equality sections of the Agenda for Change agreement under review and up to date. For example, conference welcomes guidance being produced for managers, at UNISON’s request and with UNISON’s input, on supporting staff who are undergoing gender reassignment. Conference […]