Category: NHS

Opinion: ‘The past is gloomy, but the future doesn’t have to be’

By UNISON general secretary Christina McAnea

It’s hard to believe that, less than a week ago, a rain-soaked prime minister rolled the dice in front of the nation. It’s been a hapless campaign start for Rishi Sunak, but at least he put us out of our misery and called the general election. In his own words, we can now decide between “the past and the future”.

Calling the election is just about all we can thank him for. He may try to distance himself from his party’s record over the past 14 years. He may try to convince us that our crumbling public services and the cost-of-living crisis are all because of COVID and the Russian invasion of Ukraine. But we know it’s those 14 long years of Tory political choices, chaos and cuts, that have broken our country.

A revolving door of prime ministers and ministers, scandal and sleaze. No plan to rebuild everything they broke, and no vision for the future, is the record the prime minister now stands to defend. To top it off, the Tories have degraded standards in public life.

Remember how this government treated NHS workers during our dispute two winters ago. Remember how they partied in Downing Street while most of our members risked their lives to protect and look after others.

The Tories can’t even unite their own party, let alone be trusted on security, the economy or our public services. Our NHS is in a dire state, our social care and childcare systems are broken beyond belief and there’s a pipeline of local authorities about to go under.

On 4 July, we have a chance to put that all in the past.

The future that public service workers need can only be led by a government that can respect their work, the services they provide and the communities that rely on them.

I don’t know about you, but I’ve waited a long time to get to this point. A tipping point where change really is possible. A chance to give working people a better deal and a chance to create a national care service that will benefit care users, social care staff and allow family members to stay in work.

Labour is offering a plan to grow the economy by making work pay, ending austerity and treating public services as a driver of economic growth, not a drain. Labour’s plan is about building a better future for everyone, not just allowing a few elites to pile up all the wealth everyone else helped to create.

The choice at the ballot box on 4 July is between the past and the future. The past is gloomy, but the future doesn’t have to be.

I will be voting Labour. I hope you will join me.

The article Opinion: ‘The past is gloomy, but the future doesn’t have to be’ first appeared on the UNISON National site.

Opinion: ‘The past is gloomy, but the future doesn’t have to be’

By UNISON general secretary Christina McAnea

It’s hard to believe that, less than a week ago, a rain-soaked prime minister rolled the dice in front of the nation. It’s been a hapless campaign start for Rishi Sunak, but at least he put us out of our misery and called the general election. In his own words, we can now decide between “the future and the past”.

Calling the election is just about all we can thank him for. He may try to distance himself from his party’s record over the past 14 years. He may try to convince us that our crumbling public services and the cost-of-living crisis are all because of COVID and the Russian invasion of Ukraine. But we know it’s those 14 long years of Tory political choices, chaos and cuts, that have broken our country.

A revolving door of prime ministers and ministers, scandal and sleaze. No plan to rebuild everything they broke, and no vision for the future, is the record the prime minister now stands to defend. To top it off, the Tories have degraded standards in public life.

Remember how this government treated NHS workers during our dispute two winters ago. Remember how they partied in Downing Street while most of our members risked their lives to protect and look after others.

The Tories can’t even unite their own party, let alone be trusted on security, the economy or our public services. Our NHS is in a dire state, our social care and childcare systems are broken beyond belief and there’s a pipeline of local authorities about to go under.

On 4 July, we have a chance to put that all in the past.

The future that public service workers need can only be led by a government that can respect their work, the services they provide and the communities that rely on them.

I don’t know about you, but I’ve waited a long time to get to this point. A tipping point where change really is possible. A chance to give working people a better deal and a chance to create a national care service that will benefit care users, social care staff and allow family members to stay in work.

Labour is offering a plan to grow the economy by making work pay, ending austerity and treating public services as a driver of economic growth, not a drain. Labour’s plan is about building a better future for everyone, not just allowing a few elites to pile up all the wealth everyone else helped to create.

The choice at the ballot box on 4 July is between the past and the future. The past is gloomy, but the future doesn’t have to be.

I will be voting Labour. I hope you will join me.

The article Opinion: ‘The past is gloomy, but the future doesn’t have to be’ first appeared on the UNISON National site.

Investment not wishful thinking is key to fixing the NHS

Commenting on government plans intended to improve patient choice, UNISON head of health Helga Pile said today (Wednesday):

“Small-scale pilot schemes and wishful thinking are no solution to the huge problems facing the NHS.

“It’s not possible to magic up the extra trained staff and equipment needed to plug the gaping holes in the healthcare system caused by more than a decade of under-investment.

“Giving the illusion of more choice is cold comfort to patients who’ve been waiting far too long for treatment. It’s just another attempt to deflect from the government’s catalogue of failure on the NHS. The public won’t be fooled.”

Notes to editors:
– UNISON is the UK’s largest union with more than 1.3 million members providing public services in education, local government, the NHS, police service and energy. They are employed in the public, voluntary and private sectors.

Media contact:
Anthony Barnes M: 07834 864794 E: a.barnes@unison.co.uk

The article Investment not wishful thinking is key to fixing the NHS first appeared on the UNISON National site.

Investment not wishful thinking is key to fixing the NHS

Commenting on government plans intended to improve patient choice, UNISON head of health Helga Pile said today (Wednesday):

“Small-scale pilot schemes and wishful thinking are no solution to the huge problems facing the NHS.

“It’s not possible to magic up the extra trained staff and equipment needed to plug the gaping holes in the healthcare system caused by more than a decade of under-investment.

“Giving the illusion of more choice is cold comfort to patients who’ve been waiting far too long for treatment. It’s just another attempt to deflect from the government’s catalogue of failure on the NHS. The public won’t be fooled.”

Notes to editors:
– UNISON is the UK’s largest union with more than 1.3 million members providing public services in education, local government, the NHS, police service and energy. They are employed in the public, voluntary and private sectors.

Media contact:
Anthony Barnes M: 07834 864794 E: a.barnes@unison.co.uk

The article Investment not wishful thinking is key to fixing the NHS first appeared on the UNISON National site.

Prime Minister should focus on the NHS, not demonise those too sick to work

Commenting on the Prime Minister’s proposals on welfare reform today (Friday), UNISON general secretary Christina McAnea said:

“The Prime Minister has promised and failed to cut NHS waiting lists.
“Worse still, his government has damaged the public services people were once able to rely upon to get better and stay healthy.

“Lengthy waits for NHS operations and treatment have left people languishing at home, too sick or injured to work. That’s a personal tragedy for them and terrible for the economy too.

“Instead of hostile rhetoric on benefits, ministers should be recruiting to fill the huge gaps in the NHS workforce. That would increase capacity and allow more patients to be seen.

“Boosting pay to persuade experienced staff to remain in the health service is key too. But it’s now more than a fortnight since the government should have announced this year’s NHS pay rise.

“Threatening to remove benefits and forcing sick and disabled people further into poverty is most definitely not the way to increase the health of our sick nation.”

Notes to editors:
– UNISON is the UK’s largest union with more than 1.3 million members providing public services in education, local government, the NHS, police service and energy. They are employed in the public, voluntary and private sectors.

Media contacts:
Liz Chinchen M: 07778 158175 E: press@unison.co.uk
Fatima Ayad M: 07508 080383 E: f.ayad@unison.co.uk

The article Prime Minister should focus on the NHS, not demonise those too sick to work first appeared on the UNISON National site.

Prime Minister should focus on the NHS, not demonise those too sick to work

Commenting on the Prime Minister’s proposals on welfare reform today (Friday), UNISON general secretary Christina McAnea said:

“The Prime Minister has promised and failed to cut NHS waiting lists.
“Worse still, his government has damaged the public services people were once able to rely upon to get better and stay healthy.

“Lengthy waits for NHS operations and treatment have left people languishing at home, too sick or injured to work. That’s a personal tragedy for them and terrible for the economy too.

“Instead of hostile rhetoric on benefits, ministers should be recruiting to fill the huge gaps in the NHS workforce. That would increase capacity and allow more patients to be seen.

“Boosting pay to persuade experienced staff to remain in the health service is key too. But it’s now more than a fortnight since the government should have announced this year’s NHS pay rise.

“Threatening to remove benefits and forcing sick and disabled people further into poverty is most definitely not the way to increase the health of our sick nation.”

Notes to editors:
– UNISON is the UK’s largest union with more than 1.3 million members providing public services in education, local government, the NHS, police service and energy. They are employed in the public, voluntary and private sectors.

Media contacts:
Liz Chinchen M: 07778 158175 E: press@unison.co.uk
Fatima Ayad M: 07508 080383 E: f.ayad@unison.co.uk

The article Prime Minister should focus on the NHS, not demonise those too sick to work first appeared on the UNISON National site.

Christina McAnea leads applause for successful UNISON strikers

There’s power in the union – particularly if that union is UNISON. That was the message at the heart of a speech this morning from general secretary Christina McAnea to UNISON’s national health service group conference in Brighton.

“Look at all you’ve achieved in the past 12 months”, she told delegates.

“Forty-two re-banding deals done across England and Scotland in our Pay Fair for Patient Care campaign. £70 million in back pay – and rising.

“A huge strike in Northern Ireland that forced politicians back into the Northern Ireland Assembly to sort out public sector pay – that’s the power of UNISON.”

Ms McAnea added that the union had live disputes in the South East, Eastern, East Midlands, Northern, North West, South West and London regions, together with live campaigns in Yorkshire and Humberside, West Midlands and Cymru/Wales.

“Our demands and action get results. We are transforming lives … That’s the power of UNISON.”

The big election year

“The Tories can go into the general election with a proud record to stand on. Forty brand new hospitals, a valued and appreciated workforce, NHS pay rises beyond your wildest dreams,” the general secretary quipped, to laughter from delegates.

More seriously, Ms McAnea stressed the need to get the Conservatives out of government and for Labour to replace them.

“While the Tories break promises and let down our most vulnerable in our society, UNISON says we can do better.”

Pointing out that UNISON has been campaigning for a National Social Care service, she said: “Until we fix the crisis in social care, we cannot fix our broken NHS.

“And when a National Care Service has been created – and I do believe it will be – we can look back together and say, ‘we did that – we were part of that’.

And Ms McAnea stressed that the workforce of the NHS – and of a future National Care Service – “should be given decent pay for a day’s work”.

There are also elections taking place in UNISON. Ballots for the service group elections open on 22 April and Ms McAnea urged delegates not only to vote themselves, but to return to their workplaces and persuade their fellow members to vote too.

Celebrating the power of the union

Health conference giving a standing ovation to representatives of successful UNISON strikes, plus a live relay of a picket line in Middlesbrough

After a standing ovation, the union’s acting head of health, Helga Pile, introduced representatives of successful strikes in health from across the union as they came to the front of the hall to join Ms McAnea. They were joined live online from a picket line at James Cook Hospital in Middlesbrough, as conference rose to applaud and celebrate the power of UNISON.

The article Christina McAnea leads applause for successful UNISON strikers first appeared on the UNISON National site.

Christina McAnea leads applause for successful UNISON strikers

There’s power in the union – particularly if that union is UNISON. That was the message at the heart of a speech this morning from general secretary Christina McAnea to UNISON’s national health service group conference in Brighton.

“Look at all you’ve achieved in the past 12 months”, she told delegates.

“Forty-two re-banding deals done across England and Scotland in our Pay Fair for Patient Care campaign. £70 million in back pay – and rising.

“A huge strike in Northern Ireland that forced politicians back into the Northern Ireland Assembly to sort out public sector pay – that’s the power of UNISON.”

Ms McAnea added that the union had live disputes in the South East, Eastern, East Midlands, Northern, North West, South West and London regions, together with live campaigns in Yorkshire and Humberside, West Midlands and Cymru/Wales.

“Our demands and action get results. We are transforming lives … That’s the power of UNISON.”

The big election year

“The Tories can go into the general election with a proud record to stand on. Forty brand new hospitals, a valued and appreciated workforce, NHS pay rises beyond your wildest dreams,” the general secretary quipped, to laughter from delegates.

More seriously, Ms McAnea stressed the need to get the Conservatives out of government and for Labour to replace them.

“While the Tories break promises and let down our most vulnerable in our society, UNISON says we can do better.”

Pointing out that UNISON has been campaigning for a National Social Care service, she said: “Until we fix the crisis in social care, we cannot fix our broken NHS.

“And when a National Care Service has been created – and I do believe it will be – we can look back together and say, ‘we did that – we were part of that’.

And Ms McAnea stressed that the workforce of the NHS – and of a future National Care Service – “should be given decent pay for a day’s work”.

There are also elections taking place in UNISON. Ballots for the service group elections open on 22 April and Ms McAnea urged delegates not only to vote themselves, but to return to their workplaces and persuade their fellow members to vote too.

Celebrating the power of the union

Health conference giving a standing ovation to representatives of successful UNISON strikes, plus a live relay of a picket line in Middlesbrough

After a standing ovation, the union’s acting head of health, Helga Pile, introduced representatives of successful strikes in health from across the union as they came to the front of the hall to join Ms McAnea. They were joined live online from a picket line at James Cook Hospital in Middlesbrough, as conference rose to applaud and celebrate the power of UNISON.

The article Christina McAnea leads applause for successful UNISON strikers first appeared on the UNISON National site.

Low-paid health workers shouldn’t have had to strike for one-off payment, says UNISON

Commenting on the government funding that will now allow thousands of health workers to receive the one-off payment given to NHS staff last year, UNISON head of health Helga Pile said:

“Low-paid health workers shouldn’t have had to go on strike and lose money to win the cash that’s rightfully theirs.

“Nor should they have had to wait many months for the one-off payments their directly employed NHS colleagues got months ago.

“Private firms, social enterprises and wholly-owned subsidiaries taking on NHS contracts should be driven by motives other than pure profit. Any contractor or organisation running an NHS service should be responsible for the staff it takes on too.

“Health workers employed by private firms shouldn’t be treated less favourably or earn less an hour only because they no longer work for the NHS.

“If private companies in the NHS don’t want to make that commitment, they shouldn’t be tendering for health service contracts in the first place.”

The article Low-paid health workers shouldn’t have had to strike for one-off payment, says UNISON first appeared on the UNISON National site.

Low-paid health workers shouldn’t have had to strike for one-off payment, says UNISON

Commenting on the government funding that will now allow thousands of health workers to receive the one-off payment given to NHS staff last year, UNISON head of health Helga Pile said:

“Low-paid health workers shouldn’t have had to go on strike and lose money to win the cash that’s rightfully theirs.

“Nor should they have had to wait many months for the one-off payments their directly employed NHS colleagues got months ago.

“Private firms, social enterprises and wholly-owned subsidiaries taking on NHS contracts should be driven by motives other than pure profit. Any contractor or organisation running an NHS service should be responsible for the staff it takes on too.

“Health workers employed by private firms shouldn’t be treated less favourably or earn less an hour only because they no longer work for the NHS.

“If private companies in the NHS don’t want to make that commitment, they shouldn’t be tendering for health service contracts in the first place.”

The article Low-paid health workers shouldn’t have had to strike for one-off payment, says UNISON first appeared on the UNISON National site.