Conference recognises that there is an increasing amount of our healthcare members working shifts of 10-12 hours plus. There are a variety of reasons why staff are working these shift patterns. For some it is a matter of personal choice and allows them to balance work and life commitments such as caring responsibilities. However, for […]
Conference motions
Conference notes that due to the policies of the Coalition and recent Conservative Governments that the training of registered members of Healthcare staff is in a precarious state. An effect of the Government’s abolition of the bursary for Students has led to a substantial fall in the number of applicants for the Nursing degree. According […]
Conference notes that stress in the workplace is a long standing problem for NHS staff, and research (Hannah Flynn 2016) indicates that almost 9 in 10 practice nurses, GPs and other primary care workers find their work life stressful, leading to some to have suicidal thoughts. Conference believes that health staff are in responsible positions […]
Conference notes that those who work in our NHS come from across the world with different experiences, backgrounds and beliefs, working together to deliver the best services possible. Conference believes that there is no room for racism in the NHS, yet unfortunately is aware of an increase in racist incidents following the EU referendum last […]
Mental health services have been underfunded in the UK for a number of years, having a negative impact on both staff and service users. Funding cuts mean that teams are often under resourced, with staff working long hours and struggling to deliver the highest levels of care. Service users are left on long waiting lists […]
Violence and aggression against NHS staff should never be tolerated. In England, some 70,555 NHS staff were assaulted in 2015/16, up four per cent on the previous year. Similar levels of violence are reported in the devolved nations. These assaults can have a catastrophic effect, not only the physical impact of the injury, but also […]
Conference notes with pride that our National Health Service celebrates its 70th anniversary in 2018. As this milestone is reached the diversity of the NHS workforce should be a theme for public celebration. Conference notes that 1948 was also the year that the Windrush brought 492 migrants to the United Kingdom in what became known […]
Conference notes that workers in the NHS in Northern Ireland are currently in a pay deficit. All Agenda for Change pay bands are affected . The facts tell the story of a widening gap affecting not only current earning but pensions will also be poorer. At the end of 2017 a Band 2 worker at […]
Conference recognises that there is a lack of disability awareness training for managers and is concerned about the impact this is having on disabled members in health branches and employers. There continues to be a lack of understanding of the needs of disabled employees in the workplace leading many employers to fail to make reasonable […]
Conference notes that Operating Department Practitioners have been working within the NHS for over 50 years under varying titles. ODPs have only been regulated by the Health and Care Professions Council since 2004. Conference further notes that there are over 13,000 registered ODPs and they are a valued member of the multi-disciplinary team, they are […]
Disability leave is time off from work for a reason related to someone’s disability. It is a type of ‘reasonable adjustment’ which disabled workers are entitled to under the Equality Act 2010. Conference is aware that there is still inequality for many of our disabled members and they continue to be treated unfavourably at work. […]
Conference notes and welcomes efforts by employers and policy-makers to diversify routes into the healthcare professions. We are now seeing the development of a variety of options into different professions including traineeships, secondments, apprenticeships and postgraduate fast-track routes like Nurse First. However Conference is concerned that there does not appear to be any overarching strategy […]
Conference welcomes the acknowledgement of the need to tackle bullying across the health service and to promote equality and diversity. However, conference believes that health employers’ equality intentions are not always backed up by effective actions. Conference notes that with health employers across the UK, essential and mandatory equality and diversity training is increasingly delivered […]
Conference is fully aware of the continuous pressures placed upon NHS Organisations to make efficiency savings in both costs and systems. The NHS Employers have highlighted the work undertaken from the Junior Doctor recruitment experience in London, and a National Streamlining Steering Group was established to roll out the collaborative working programme on a regional […]
Conference notes the ‘Promoting professionalism, reforming regulation’ consultation by the four UK governments which closed in January 2018. This consultation was long overdue but now that it is finally moving forward, Conference believes it presents opportunities to rationalise the system of professional regulation in healthcare and make it fit for the 21st century. Conference notes […]