Childrens Trusts

Conference welcomes the introduction of greater co-operation and joint working between health and social services as demonstrated by the introduction of Children’s and Older Persons/Adults trusts. Many of our members already work in integrated service under Section 31 funding arrangements or through other joint funding regimes on a variety of secondment or other employment arrangements. […]

Nursing Recruitment and Retention Campaign

As part of the national campaign to recruit and retain nursing staff in UNISON, conference agrees that resources should be made available to enable all regions to establish or enter into relevant partnerships with existing library and nursing services databases to ensure that access to this range of professional services becomes a recruiting tool for […]

Low Pay and Agenda for Change

Under AfC the lowest spine point in Band 1 falls below the level of half male median earnings. All points in Band 1 fall below £6 an hour. UNISON’s submission to the Low Pay Commission asked for a minimum way of £6 an hour. In many areas UNISON branches have negotiated minimum rates for ancillary […]

Violence

Currently violence against NHS staff is high and rising. Nurses are four times more likely than teachers or shop assistants to be the subject of a violent assault at work. During 2002, 115,000 incidents were reported that caused injury and distress to individuals working in the NHS. These involved problems with absence, low morale and […]

Health Care Assistants

This Conference notes: 1.The successful regrading campaign for Health Care Assistants undertaken by Newcastle City Health UNISON; 2.This has involved updating the B Grade job description to take into account the changes and the development in roles of HCA’s since the grading structure came into being in 1998; 3.The campaign has involved HCA’s themselves re-evaluating […]

Unsocial Hours – Early Implementers Experience

Because of the lack of job profiles a considerable amount of information from Early Implementers has been lacking, especially around unsocial hours supplements. Therefore the SGE should be clear in its communication to members about information from Early Implementers especially calculating unsocial hours payments and how their calculations can be made when an individual is […]

Mobility and Mufti

This conference calls upon the SGE and National negotiators to make representation on behalf of staff who need to be mobile to carry out their work or wear mufti instead of uniforms. Current rates of remuneration date from as far back as the 1970’s, when the tax threshold was set at £8,000. For staff who […]

Learning and Organising in Health Branches

Conference notes the success of learning initiatives in health branches, and the productive relationship between the Culture of Learning Project and health branches. Conference recognises that the Learning agenda provides UNISON with important opportunities for branches to organise and recruit new members, in addition to other organising activities such as campaigns, representation and negotiations. Lifelong […]

Fair Trade

This Conference believes that wherever possible the NHS should access its supplies using “fair trade” principals. We are aware that the NHS Procurement and Supplies Agency is in the process of developing a fair trade policy together with NHS Estates and that a Head of Sustainable Development has been appointed with a remit that covers […]

Fair Pay for All Staff

Conference notes that under Agenda for Change 16 different factors have been invented and have been weighted so that: ·hard physical work gains a maximum of 25 points but; · ·knowledge, training and experience is worth 240 points; · ·25 points are available to recognise tough working conditions yet; · ·360 points are available to […]

NHS Treatment for Asylum Seekers and Refugees

This Conference notes: a.The deplorable statements made by health ministers with regards to the issue of so called “health tourists”; b.This included reference to failed asylum seekers and figures up to 200 million pounds were mentioned; c.This comes at a time when there are continuing attacks on asylum seekers and refugees, and that fasict organisations […]

Fast Tracking NHS Staff back to work

Conference notes that despite a wide range of positive initiatives to recruit staff there is still a shortage of staff working in the NHS. Positive recruitment initiatives only partly meet the challenging needs of the NHS. Retention of staff is equally if not more important in maintaining service delivery and continuity of staffing skills and […]

Keep the NHS Public

This Conference is deeply disappointed that the Government won a narrow majority to establish Foundation Trusts. However it believes that the strong campaign of opposition led by UNISON at all levels of the organisation achieved significant concessions from the Government. The NHS continues to face significant attacks from the privateers both within and outside of […]

Access to Training and Education for “Non-Professional Staff”

Conference is concerned that access to training and education for “non-professional” staff is very limited or in reality non-existent in some workplaces. All staff in the NHS are important and essential to the delivery of services in the NHS. Therefore all staff should have equal access to training and education. Staff classified as “professional” are […]

Student Nurse Training – Secondment Opportunity

Conference welcomes the increased opportunities in certain areas for existing staff to undertake Nurse Training as part of a secondment opportunity. This Conference believes that by utilising the skills and experience of existing health workers all of the NHS will benefit with increased recruitment and importantly retention of Nursing Staff. This Conference however notes with […]