Conference notes that the Government made a promise of an increase in the annual funding for the NHS of £8bn more above the annual rate in inflation by 2020. Conference demands that the Government not only keeps its promise but that it pays the extra £ 8bn now. This payment needs to be actioned now […]
Conference motions
This conference believes that it is vital to reverse the trend of reducing training opportunities for all healthcare staff. Training is a casualty of the reduction in funding and ongoing staff shortages. More than a third of nursing staff do not feel adequately updated with their core training. This issue is relevant to health service […]
Conference has concerns in regards to the way Healthcare organisations are attempting to meet the safer staffing levels recommended by the Francis Report. Often organisations are meeting these staffing requirements by the use of poor or inadequate skill mixing which includes the use of unsatisfactory banding levels of agency and bank staff in most health […]
The decision by George Osbourne in the comprehensive spending review to scrap the NHS Bursary is short sighted and will have serious implications for the future of our NHS workforce. The shortage we currently have of nurses and midwives is as a direct result of the previous Government’s decision to slash pre registration training in […]
Conference believes that the way NHS services are commissioned in England has to change. Conference reiterates its opposition to NHS privatisation and notes that since the Health and Social Care Act 2012 came into force it is far easier for clinical and support services to be sold off, and increasingly even the actual commissioning itself. […]
Consistent underfunding of the NHS since 2010, the refusal of the Westminster Government to support Agenda for Change and local pressure from irresponsible employers has meant we have spent the last five years defending rather than improving our national agreement. As a result, we have an agreement which we are committed to fight for, but […]
Conference is committed to working in partnership to make our NHS the best it can be, whatever the circumstances. However Conference notes that many of the changes coming to the NHS are more about driving down costs than driving up service quality. Initiatives are happening in different guises across the UK including integration with social […]
Conference welcomes the report of the Health Service Group Executive’s Devolution Working Group on pay determination across the four countries in the UK. Conference acknowledges that whilst responsibility for determining pay in the UK is a devolved function, UNISON remains committed to maintaining and improving pay for NHS workers across the UK. Conference believes the […]
Conference condemns the comments made by Home Secretary Theresa May at the 2015 Conservative conference where she stated “at best the net economic and fiscal effect of high immigration is zero”. Conference believes this is not only inflammatory but is also not backed by evidence. The NHS is dependent on migrant workers to maintain and […]
Conference congratulates UNISON on its safe staffing campaign, which has done much to keep this important issue in the news in recent years. Given the findings of the Francis inquiry and media coverage of the issue, Conference believes it is entirely appropriate that the campaign has so far focused largely on staffing levels in the […]
Conference notes that employers have a duty of care to ensure the health, safety and wellbeing of their staff. Pledge 3 of the NHS Constitution (England) – a document whose principles are supported by all UK health departments – also makes a commitment to staff to maintain their health, wellbeing and safety. However, Conference is […]
Conference notes with concern that there is inadequate planning to mitigate the impact of an ageing workforce in the NHS. It is predicted that by 2020 one third of the workforce will be aged over 50, whilst the abolition of the default retirement age and the impact of low wages on future pension income mean […]
Northumbria Healthcare Foundation Trust became the first Trust in the UK to buy out a P.F.I. contract, releasing £3.5 million a year to go towards patient care. In total the savings over length of contract was approx. £48 million. If Northumbria can do it why not all Trusts? Releasing millions of pounds to go on […]
Nursing across the UK is facing the perfect storm of increased demand and diminishing resources. A decision by the previous coalition government to slash the pre-registration commission numbers for student nurses has had catastrophic consequences for the NHS now. The age profile of our current nursing workforce means that an average organisation could lose up […]
Conference notes that the introduction of revalidation was a key recommendation following the Francis enquiry. Revalidation with the Nursing and Midwifery Council will come into effect from April 2016, it will affect all 680,000 nurses and midwives who are currently regulated by the NMC. Replacing the outdated system of Prep, will be a challenge for […]