UNISON Health Conference notes: 1)The alarming news that the government is encouraging councils to increase council tax in an attempt to fund massive funding gap in health and social care provision. 2)The King’s Fund has reported that the share of GDP spent on health has dropped from 8.8% in 2009, to 7.3% in 2014/15, and […]
Conference notes that across the UK there are a number of current initiatives seeking to bring about service transformation. These include, but are not limited to, Sustainability and Transformation Plans (STPs) in England, the ten year vision for health and social care based on the Bengoa report in Northern Ireland, and further moves towards more […]
Conference notes that the apprenticeship levy and the adoption of targets by the four country administrations will drive an upsurge of apprenticeships in the NHS. The imperative for NHS organisations to recoup the money they are now required to pay into the levy means that apprenticeships will become a major means of training and developing […]
Conference notes the success of branches who have previously won a pay rise for their lowest paid staff through Living Wage campaigns. Their successes should be celebrated and used to inspire other branch-led campaigns across the country. However, whilst increases to the Living Wage are to be welcomed, conference notes that some employers have fallen […]
Conference notes that Sustainability and transformation plans (STPs) are plans for the future health and care services in England and were to support the NHS to deliver the changes set out in the ‘5 Year Forward View’. They first appeared in planning guidance at the end of 2015 and their original purpose was to: 1)Improve […]
Conference notes the findings from the recent report identify that here in the North East Combined Authority (NECA) area, the health and wellbeing gap with rest of the UK remains high, facing challenges in cancer, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), diabetes, mental health problems and rising levels of excess life expectancy. The Region is served […]
Conference is hugely concerned that the plans by NHS England to develop Sustainability and Transformation Plans (STPs) have to date had no local involvement of the key groups and stakeholders who will be affected by these plans. Local politicians, trade unions and more importantly local communities have been excluded from all discussions and initial consultations […]
Conference notes that across the UK there are a number of current initiatives seeking to bring about service transformation. These include, but are not limited to, Sustainability and Transformation Plans (STPs) in England, the ten year vision for health and social care based on the Bengoa report in Northern Ireland, and further moves towards more […]
This Conference notes that NHS pay has not kept up with the cost of living. With a fall in pay of approximately 10-12% many regions are having major staffing and recruitment problems. Especially in London and the South East where the cost of living tends to be much higher. For example, Oxfordshire is the most […]
Conference notes that negotiations have been taking place with NHS Employers over refreshing Agenda for Change. Conference calls on the Health Service Group Executive to reject any proposals that lead to a detriment to our members.
Health Conference welcomes the growing acknowledgement in the public policy discourse that our health and social care systems are inter-related and interdependent. Health Conference believes that, where there are problems with the availability and quality of social care provision, the knock-on effects are felt in the NHS – both in increased demand for front-end health […]
Health Conference notes with alarm the growing crisis of underfunding in our NHS. The King’s Fund has reported that the share of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) spent on health has dropped from 8.8% in 2009, to 7.3% in 2014/15, and is projected to be just 6.6 percent in 2020. Conference condemns these cuts that do […]
This Conference congratulates UNISON Scotland in their outstanding success in tackling the scourge of low pay in the health service. From October 1st 2016 all staff employed in NHS Scotland on Agenda for Change Band One had their posts reviewed and all were offered Band Two posts with only very minor adjustments to their roles. […]
Conference congratulates Scotland for agreeing the eradication of Band 1, with suitable protection for those not wishing to move to Band 2. This is a major step forward in dealing with low pay. In Cymru/Wales we are beginning those negotiations, but given the difficult financial situation we will be stronger if all devolved nations had […]
Fair pay for apprentices Conference will be well aware of the ever increasing numbers of Apprentices being employed within the NHS. There is concern that Apprentices, in some cases, are being used as a cheaper source of labour, sometimes on minimum wage, instead of being paid the correct rate for the substantive post, as per […]
