Category: one team for patient care

Health workers in South West celebrate double lump-sum victory

Hundreds of hospital workers in the South West are celebrating victory after NHS and Sodexo respectively committed to paying the lump sum bonuses due to them.

The one-off payment, part of a deal agreed for all staff on NHS contracts and Agenda for Change, is worth at least £1,655 for full-time health workers.

Wiltshire

Staff at Wiltshire’s six community hospitals had taken two days of strike action (pictured above) over the company’s previous refusal to honour the payment, already given to health workers employed directly by the NHS in June 2022.

Wiltshire Health and Care initially said it could not afford to pay the workers. After pressure from UNISON members, Wiltshire Health and Care successfully applied for funding from the Department of Health and Social Care.

Wiltshire Health and Care is a Limited Liability Partnership, created in 2014 by three NHS trusts – Great Western Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Royal United Hospitals Bath NHS Foundation Trust, and Salisbury NHS Foundation Trust.

North Devon

In North Devon, staff employed by Sodexo took two days of strike action (pictured below) in February over the company’s previous refusal to honour the payment.

Sodexo workers on a picket line, holding purple UNISON flags

Sodexo workers picketing in North Devon

In response, Sodexo offered to pay 80% of the sum while they awaited news on their application to the Department of Health and Social Care for the remaining 20%. UNISON members voted to suspend planned action for March and accepted their offer.

Sodexo’s successful application to the Department of Health and Social Care now means that over 300 workers will receive the final 20% of the lump sum in their April pay packet.

UNISON South West regional secretary Kerry Baigent said: “This is a victory for hundreds of low-paid health workers. These workers shouldn’t have had to go on strike and lose money to win the cash that’s rightfully theirs.

Speaking of the victory in Wiltshire, Ms Baigent said: “The three Trusts should have done more to ensure that Wiltshire Health and Care workers received the lump sum at the same time as their directly employed staff. 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.”

In regard to workers in North Devon, she said: “Hundreds of staff standing on the picket line created pressure that focused the minds of Sodexo executives and resulted in staff accepting an offer for 80% of the lump sum. Now, after this decision, they’ll be getting 100%.

“But Sodexo generates huge profits and had the ability to pay its staff all along. It could have easily avoided these strikes.

“In 2025, Sodexo’s contract for the service is up for renewal. It’s time our members are brought back in house alongside their NHS colleagues where they belong.”

The article Health workers in South West celebrate double lump-sum victory first appeared on the UNISON National site.

Health workers in South West celebrate double lump-sum victory

Hundreds of hospital workers in the South West are celebrating victory after NHS and Sodexo respectively committed to paying the lump sum bonuses due to them.

The one-off payment, part of a deal agreed for all staff on NHS contracts and Agenda for Change, is worth at least £1,655 for full-time health workers.

Wiltshire

Staff at Wiltshire’s six community hospitals had taken two days of strike action (pictured above) over the company’s previous refusal to honour the payment, already given to health workers employed directly by the NHS in June 2022.

Wiltshire Health and Care initially said it could not afford to pay the workers. After pressure from UNISON members, Wiltshire Health and Care successfully applied for funding from the Department of Health and Social Care.

Wiltshire Health and Care is a Limited Liability Partnership, created in 2014 by three NHS trusts – Great Western Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Royal United Hospitals Bath NHS Foundation Trust, and Salisbury NHS Foundation Trust.

North Devon

In North Devon, staff employed by Sodexo took two days of strike action (pictured below) in February over the company’s previous refusal to honour the payment.

Sodexo workers on a picket line, holding purple UNISON flags

Sodexo workers picketing in North Devon

In response, Sodexo offered to pay 80% of the sum while they awaited news on their application to the Department of Health and Social Care for the remaining 20%. UNISON members voted to suspend planned action for March and accepted their offer.

Sodexo’s successful application to the Department of Health and Social Care now means that over 300 workers will receive the final 20% of the lump sum in their April pay packet.

UNISON South West regional secretary Kerry Baigent said: “This is a victory for hundreds of low-paid health workers. These workers shouldn’t have had to go on strike and lose money to win the cash that’s rightfully theirs.

Speaking of the victory in Wiltshire, Ms Baigent said: “The three Trusts should have done more to ensure that Wiltshire Health and Care workers received the lump sum at the same time as their directly employed staff. 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.”

In regard to workers in North Devon, she said: “Hundreds of staff standing on the picket line created pressure that focused the minds of Sodexo executives and resulted in staff accepting an offer for 80% of the lump sum. Now, after this decision, they’ll be getting 100%.

“But Sodexo generates huge profits and had the ability to pay its staff all along. It could have easily avoided these strikes.

“In 2025, Sodexo’s contract for the service is up for renewal. It’s time our members are brought back in house alongside their NHS colleagues where they belong.”

The article Health workers in South West celebrate double lump-sum victory first appeared on the UNISON National site.

UNISON health conference opens in Brighton

UNISON’s annual national health service group conference opened in Brighton this morning, with union president Libby Nolan (pictured above) saying that it had been a “really tough year for us…We say that every year, don’t we?”

Sending “solidarity” to ambulance workers, she noted that, as ambulances queue outside A&E departments, unable to hand over patients to hospitals because of waiting times, they are bearing the brunt of the crisis in the NHS.

Elsewhere, applauding a recent back-pay win, she told delegates that, while people join UNISON for different reasons, she had joined the union to increase her wages.

“We can put so much money in people’s pockets” when members stick together, she said – money that could help members not having to apply to the union’s charity, There for You, for winter fuel grants.

Wilma Brown speaking at UNISON 2024 health service group conference

Wilma Brown, chair of the service group executive (pictured above), also addressed conference, saying “it’s also been a successful year.

“One Team for Patient Care is our slogan for conference – we live and breathe [solidarity] every day.”

“Ours is a union for everyone,” she told delegates.

Citing the recent win by Dudley Mitie health support workers in their struggle to get the private employer pay them the COVID-19 bonus promised by the government at Westminster, she pointed out that the situation illustrates why outsourcing is so bad and that such workers should be brought back in house.

The article UNISON health conference opens in Brighton first appeared on the UNISON National site.

UNISON health conference opens in Brighton

UNISON’s annual national health service group conference opened in Brighton this morning, with union president Libby Nolan (pictured above) saying that it had been a “really tough year for us…We say that every year, don’t we?”

Sending “solidarity” to ambulance workers, she noted that, as ambulances queue outside A&E departments, unable to hand over patients to hospitals because of waiting times, they are bearing the brunt of the crisis in the NHS.

Elsewhere, applauding a recent back-pay win, she told delegates that, while people join UNISON for different reasons, she had joined the union to increase her wages.

“We can put so much money in people’s pockets” when members stick together, she said – money that could help members not having to apply to the union’s charity, There for You, for winter fuel grants.

Wilma Brown speaking at UNISON 2024 health service group conference

Wilma Brown, chair of the service group executive (pictured above), also addressed conference, saying “it’s also been a successful year.

“One Team for Patient Care is our slogan for conference – we live and breathe [solidarity] every day.”

“Ours is a union for everyone,” she told delegates.

Citing the recent win by Dudley Mitie health support workers in their struggle to get the private employer pay them the COVID-19 bonus promised by the government at Westminster, she pointed out that the situation illustrates why outsourcing is so bad and that such workers should be brought back in house.

The article UNISON health conference opens in Brighton first appeared on the UNISON National site.

UNISON launches its One Team Awards for NHS staff

UNISON is marking this year’s One Team Day, on Wednesday, with the launch of a new award aimed at honouring the whole NHS team.

The One Team Awards give members a chance to nominate colleagues who they believe deserve recognition for their contribution to the NHS team – and put them in the running to win one of three £500 prize vouchers.

Those eligible are UNISON members working in non-clinical support and operational services roles, up to and including band 5.

UNISON acting head of health Helga Pile said: “We’re really proud to launch the One Team Awards this year.

“The awards celebrate porters, cleaners, receptionists, cooks, ward clerks, security officers and many more – NHS staff whose jobs often go unrecognised, but without whom the NHS simply couldn’t run.

“They will shine a light on the dedication and commitment of staff to provide patients with the best possible care: the cleaners fighting infection, the cooks providing nutritious meals, the medical secretaries updating patients’ records, the security officers making everyone safe.”

UNISON organises One Team Day each year as part of its One Team campaign, ensuring everyone in these NHS support staff roles are recognised, celebrated and also defended.

“Our One Team campaign champions the vital role of these staff,” Ms Pile added. “And the One Team awards are a timely way to show that when cuts are made to the NHS, it’s often these less prominent roles that are hit hardest. Ultimately, it’s patient care that will suffer.”

The panel deciding the three winners will include members of UNISON’s operational services committee, who work in similar roles themselves.

They will be  judging entries based on the following criteria:

  • Dedication to delivering and improving patient care, whether directly or indirectly
  • Working effectively as part of one NHS team and being supportive towards colleagues
  • Being a role model for the job they do – for example, offering guidance to new starters or demonstrating ideal standards of work
  • Evidence of supporting equality, diversity and inclusivity.

The nomination form will be live on the One Team page from Wednesday.

The article UNISON launches its One Team Awards for NHS staff first appeared on the UNISON National site.

UNISON launches its One Team Awards for NHS staff

UNISON is marking this year’s One Team Day, on Wednesday, with the launch of a new award aimed at honouring the whole NHS team.

The One Team Awards give members a chance to nominate colleagues who they believe deserve recognition for their contribution to the NHS team – and put them in the running to win one of three £500 prize vouchers.

Those eligible are UNISON members working in non-clinical support and operational services roles, up to and including band 5.

UNISON acting head of health Helga Pile said: “We’re really proud to launch the One Team Awards this year.

“The awards celebrate porters, cleaners, receptionists, cooks, ward clerks, security officers and many more – NHS staff whose jobs often go unrecognised, but without whom the NHS simply couldn’t run.

“They will shine a light on the dedication and commitment of staff to provide patients with the best possible care: the cleaners fighting infection, the cooks providing nutritious meals, the medical secretaries updating patients’ records, the security officers making everyone safe.”

UNISON organises One Team Day each year as part of its One Team campaign, ensuring everyone in these NHS support staff roles are recognised, celebrated and also defended.

“Our One Team campaign champions the vital role of these staff,” Ms Pile added. “And the One Team awards are a timely way to show that when cuts are made to the NHS, it’s often these less prominent roles that are hit hardest. Ultimately, it’s patient care that will suffer.”

The panel deciding the three winners will include members of UNISON’s operational services committee, who work in similar roles themselves.

They will be  judging entries based on the following criteria:

  • Dedication to delivering and improving patient care, whether directly or indirectly
  • Working effectively as part of one NHS team and being supportive towards colleagues
  • Being a role model for the job they do – for example, offering guidance to new starters or demonstrating ideal standards of work
  • Evidence of supporting equality, diversity and inclusivity.

The nomination form will be live on the One Team page from Wednesday.

The article UNISON launches its One Team Awards for NHS staff first appeared on the UNISON National site.