News – Page 2 – Union Newswire

Let more NHS staff work flexibly to help solve staffing crisis

NHS managers should do more to allow staff to work in flexible ways, including having more control over shift patterns or doing compressed hours*, says UNISON today (Wednesday).

Data from a new UNISON survey** shows a significant proportion of healthcare workers are not being given the alternative work patterns they’ve asked for.

The survey found two-thirds (65%) of women employed in healthcare across the UK who’ve asked for different work arrangements had their requests agreed in full.

But more than one in five (22%) were unable to obtain flexible working. A further one in eight (13%) had their requests initially refused, but eventually found acceptable compromises.

Health workers who took part in the survey included a woman who was refused changes to her work pattern despite the fact that her young daughter was diabetic and needed regular insulin injections.

Another NHS employee who looked after her 99-year-old grandmother requested a change in a shift start time to 9pm, to enable her to put her relative to bed. But her managers insisted she start at 7pm.

A more flexible approach could prove enough to persuade experienced, but jaded, staff to stay in the service and ensure the NHS can become a more attractive career option for would-be recruits, says UNISON.

Flexible working reforms were introduced in the NHS in 2021 in response to negotiations between health unions and the government. And from this month, staff across all sectors of the economy can ask for flexible arrangements from the first day of their employment.

UNISON’s survey of more than 12,000 women working in the healthcare sector found half (50%) of the women had not asked for flexible working, a third of whom were unaware it was even an option***. The union says staff and employers need greater awareness of the opportunities.

UNISON head of health Helga Pile said: “All NHS staff – whether they’re nurses, paramedics, operating theatre staff, porters, cleaners or control room workers – have a right to request flexible working. But some managers still have a take-it-or-leave-it attitude.

“NHS staff are leaving the service because they have no proper work-life balance. More freedom over working arrangements would help attract new staff and persuade more experienced employees to stay. That would help reduce vacancy rates, cut waiting times and improve the quality of care.

“Everyone benefits from greater flexibility. Not just the individual changing the way they work, but employers and patients too. A flexible approach can help tackle burnout, improve staff wellbeing and make for a more productive, contented workforce too.”

Notes to editors:
-*Compressed hours are when someone works their total contracted hours over fewer working days.
-**UNISON carried out the survey online from 2 to 7 February 2024. The findings are based on 12,085 responses from women working across the NHS in the UK.
-***Of those who said they had not requested flexible working, 30% said they did not need it, 30% said they did not know it was an option and 30% did not think any request would be approved.
-Click here for more details about Let’s Talk about Flex, a campaign involving NHS unions. This highlights how flexible working could play its part in helping ease the NHS staffing crisis. It says a better work-life balance for paramedics, nurses, healthcare assistants, cleaners and other NHS staff might help fill some of the thousands of vacancies. The initiative is aimed at raising awareness among staff – and employers – to use the right to request more choice over where, when and how they work.
-UNISON’s annual health conference continues until today (Wednesday) at the Brighton Centre, Kings Road, Brighton BN1 2GR. Health workers from across the UK have been debating a variety of motions including NHS pay, mileage rates, bank staff, shorter working weeks, support for healthcare students, tackling racism, mental health, sexual safety, healthcare assistant rebanding, artificial intelligence and safe staffing.
– 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:
Anthony Barnes M: 07834 864794 E: a.barnes@unison.co.uk
Liz Chinchen M: 07778 158175 E: press@unison.co.uk

The article Let more NHS staff work flexibly to help solve staffing crisis first appeared on the UNISON National site.

Health conference: Divided we fall

The debate on Agenda for Change pay merged into terms and conditions as business continued into the afternoon at health conference in Brighton.

Paying to work

First up were a group of motions that explored the various ways in which health workers are losing out financially in the course of their work. This included paying for their own uniforms, DBS checks, paying for hospital parking – with one delegate even saying her employer asked for staff to pay for their key-fobs.

Elsewhere motions discussed out-of-date mileage and subsistence rates with the mover of the mileage motion, Trudy Martin of the SGE, noting that: “HMRC rates haven’t changed since 2011 and workers are paying the price” and that if rates kept up with inflation, it should be 63p a mile, not 45p.”

Meanwhile, a speaker on the motion about inadequate subsistence rates said: “if the £15 dinner allowance had risen in line with inflation from 2004 to 2024, it would be worth around £28 now.”

NHS Bank workers

An NHS staff bank is an entity managed by a trust, or third-party organisation who contract healthcare professionals to take on temporary shifts at hospitals.

Often, those working on bank contracts often have inconsistent pay terms and conditions outside of the Agenda for Change pay framework.

One motion noted that the framework agreement for the 2018 three-year pay deal required the NHS Staff Council to explore the scope for a collective framework agreement on bank and agency workers.

As the mover, Jim Clawson, noted: “That was six years ago.”

Trudy Martin of the SGE added: “Employers are using bank contracts more than ever before, making people take up zero-hour contracts without good terms and conditions.

“While bank contracts may work for some people in specific circumstances, they are often not the most appropriate way to solve the problem.”

The motion called on the SGE to work with the staff council to finally deliver the promised framework agreement to ensure that Trusts treat their bank staff in a fair, consistent and equitable manner.

A shorter working week – better for patients, better for staff

Bryn Webster introduced the next motion, saying: “Reducing the working week with no loss in pay has been a UNISON goal for years.

“And the recent UNISON survey showed that a reduction in the working week was a top priority for members.”

He noted that 45% of NHS staff had felt unwell as a result of work related stress over the last 12 months, and more than 15 million working days were lost due to stress last year.

Jennifer Dutton (pictured, above) a call-handler with North West Ambulance service said: “Our mission statement for this entire conference is one team for patient care and this motion has the chance to do that.

“I regularly see fellow call handlers with red bulls and coffees in their hands, ready to fall asleep at their desks.

“How can my first call on day one possibly be as good as my last call on my tenth day straight? Patient care is at risk and we deserve a break.”

A nurses-only pay spine

The final motion in the section was an emergency motion called Divided we fall – invest in Agenda for Change, don’t destroy it.

It noted that the Department for Health and Social Care recently launched a consultation to “consider the benefits and challenges of a separate pay spine for nursing staff.”

The consultation put forward two options, one keeping nurses on the Agenda for Change job evaluation system, but giving them a different pay spine and the second where nursing staff would be given an entirely different and separate set of terms, conditions and pay and bargaining structures.

Eddie Woolley of the SGE (pictured, top) moved the motion saying: “Both of these options are unacceptable.”

He argued that they are aimed at dividing the NHS workforce weakening them as a result, and that it “could lead to other staff groups asking to be treated differently, which could mean the end of Agenda for Change.

“And let’s remember why we worked for Agenda for Change – it’s about pay and equality, it isn’t perfect. Banding for nurses has never rewarded clinical experience, but we need to remain united not divided, we are one team, we are UNISON.”

The article Health conference: Divided we fall first appeared on the UNISON National site.

Health conference: Divided we fall

The debate on Agenda for Change pay merged into terms and conditions as business continued into the afternoon at health conference in Brighton.

Paying to work

Meanwhile, a speaker on the motion about inadequate subsistence rates said: “if the £15 dinner allowance had risen in line with inflation from 2004 to 2024, it would be worth around £28 now.”

NHS Bank workers

An NHS staff bank is an entity managed by a trust, or third-party organisation who contract healthcare professionals to take on temporary shifts at hospitals.

Often, those working on bank contracts often have inconsistent pay terms and conditions outside of the Agenda for Change pay framework.

One motion noted that the framework agreement for the 2018 three-year pay deal required the NHS Staff Council to explore the scope for a collective framework agreement on bank and agency workers.

As the mover, Jim Clawson, noted: “That was six years ago.”

Trudy Martin of the SGE added: “Employers are using bank contracts more than ever before, making people take up zero-hour contracts without good terms and conditions.

“While bank contracts may work for some people in specific circumstances, they are often not the most appropriate way to solve the problem.”

A shorter working week – better for patients, better for staff

Bryn Webster introduced the next motion, saying: “Reducing the working week with no loss in pay has been a UNISON goal for years.

“And the recent UNISON survey showed that a reduction in the working week was a top priority for members.”

He noted that 45% of NHS staff had felt unwell as a result of work related stress over the last 12 months, and more than 15 million working days were lost due to stress last year.

“I regularly see fellow call handlers with red bulls and coffees in their hands, ready to fall asleep at their desks.

“How can my first call on day one possibly be as good as my last call on my tenth day straight? Patient care is at risk and we deserve a break.”

A nurses-only pay spine

The final motion in the section was an emergency motion called Divided we fall – invest in Agenda for Change, don’t destroy it.

It noted that the Department for Health and Social Care recently launched a consultation to “consider the benefits and challenges of a separate pay spine for nursing staff.”

Eddie Woolley of the SGE (pictured, top) moved the motion saying: “Both of these options are unacceptable.”

The article Health conference: Divided we fall first appeared on the UNISON National site.

Health: ‘The government treats us like April fools’ on pay

Business at health conference turned to pay on Tuesday morning.

First, conference discussed an emergency motion on NHS pay 2024-25. The motion pointed out that once again, the government has failed to conduct annual pay reviews in a timely fashion.

Moving the motion, James Anthony of the SGE said: “Like clockwork, in April, everything goes up. Bills council tax, everything. Except, like clockwork, NHS pay.

“Once again the government treats us like April fools.”

He highlighted that Band two members are now paid just one penny above the minimum wage: “A whacking 55p below the real living wage.”

The motion noted the health SGE’s decision to launch a pro-active formal consultation in England to gauge the strength of feeling of members.

James told delegates: “This consultation is the most important thing we’re going to do when we come back from conference – so let’s go back and talk about pay.”

Gillian Hobson from the North West region followed, telling delegates: “This year we need to send a clear message: let nothing go. Detriment is not on the table and we will not accept damage to any of our Ts & Cs.

“No more delays, a proper pay rise, proper rebanding, a shorter working week. Let nothing go.”

Once bitten twice shy – the fight for pay parity

Continuing on the theme of government inaction, conference heard that health workers in Northern Ireland have still not received the 2023 Agenda for Change pay award.

Stephanie Greenwood, moving a motion on the fight for pay parity for Northern Ireland region, asked her NI regional colleagues to stand from their seats in the hall.

Referencing the continued strike action across Northern Ireland health over the last year, she said: “These are some of the individuals who led thousands of colleagues out of their workplaces day after day in bitter conditions. Look them in the eye and support them.”

She warned delegates, “Never again leave anyone behind,” asking conference to vote to ensure that, in future pay rounds, this scenario will not be repeated and that parity for Northern Ireland is built into future negotiations.

The NHS must become a Real Living Wage Employer

The final motion of the morning saw conference call for the NHS to become a real living wage employer.

Maria Demitri moved the motion for North West Anglia Hospitals. She said: “The NHS in England employs 1.7m people, it is one of the worlds biggest employers.”

The motion read that more and more low paid staff in the NHS are earning a wage that is less than the Real Living Wage of £12.00 an hour. Ms Demitri also noted that many of those employees are paid only a penny more than the minimum wage, if they are on band 2.

She said: “Many of these workers increasingly leaving the NHS because they can earn more elsewhere.”

She argued it used to be difficult to get a job in many jobs in the NHS, from healthcare assistant, administrator, porter to catering assistant. But, because of chronic low pay there are now thousands of vacancies in these roles across the NHS as workers search elsewhere for higher paid jobs in supermarkets and call centres.

The article Health: ‘The government treats us like April fools’ on pay first appeared on the UNISON National site.

Health: ‘The government treats us like April fools’ on pay

Business at health conference turned to pay on Tuesday morning.

First, conference discussed an emergency motion on NHS pay 2024-25. The motion pointed out that once again, the government has failed to conduct annual pay reviews in a timely fashion.

Moving the motion, James Anthony of the SGE said: “Like clockwork, in April, everything goes up. Bills council tax, everything. Except, like clockwork, NHS pay.

“Once again the government treats us like April fools.”

He highlighted that Band two members are now paid just one penny above the minimum wage: “A whacking 55p below the real living wage.”

The motion noted the health SGE’s decision to launch a pro-active formal consultation in England to gauge the strength of feeling of members.

James told delegates: “This consultation is the most important thing we’re going to do when we come back from conference – so let’s go back and talk about pay.”

“No more delays, a proper pay rise, proper rebanding, a shorter working week. Let nothing go.”

Once bitten twice shy – the fight for pay parity

Continuing on the theme of government inaction, conference heard that health workers in Northern Ireland have still not received the 2023 Agenda for Change pay award.

Stephanie Greenwood, moving a motion on the fight for pay parity for Northern Ireland region, asked her NI regional colleagues to stand from their seats in the hall.

The NHS must become a Real Living Wage Employer

The final motion of the morning saw conference call for the NHS to become a real living wage employer.

Maria Demitri moved the motion for North West Anglia Hospitals. She said: “The NHS in England employs 1.7m people, it is one of the worlds biggest employers.”

She said: “Many of these workers increasingly leaving the NHS because they can earn more elsewhere.”

The article Health: ‘The government treats us like April fools’ on pay first appeared on the UNISON National site.

Health workers deserve better than this government

Speaking to delegates gathered at UNISON’s annual health conference in Brighton today (Tuesday), UNISON general secretary Christina McAnea said:

“The government’s promised but not delivered on the NHS. Its legacy will be crumbling hospital estates, outdated equipment, appalling waiting lists and NHS staff at their wits’ ends.

“Investment’s been drained for 14 years, capacity’s tumbling and workforce stress is ratcheting up.

“It’s no small wonder three in ten NHS workers had to take time off for mental health issues in the past year.

“The pressures on healthcare staff are immense. They’re caring for more patients, with fewer colleagues and with much less time.

“To make matters worse, some NHS staff have been shown pornography and even offered money for sex while at work.

“Health workers have had to put up with degrading comments, and some have experienced sexual assault.

“No one should ever have to endure such despicable behaviour and certainly not in their place of work. Employers must take this issue much more seriously.

“NHS staff deserve a proper pay rise, one that’s above inflation and tackles low wages. They should also be on the right salary band and able to work a shorter working week without loss of pay.

“The government’s learnt no lessons. This year’s wage rise is again overdue. Ministers have let staff down repeatedly.

“This lot should have left power long ago. This must be the year they’re shown the door. There must be an end to the failure, the chaos and the scandal.

“Much has been achieved in the past year. Forty-two rebanding deals across England and Scotland. Healthcare assistants have so far won £70m in back pay.

“There’s been a huge strike in Northern Ireland, one that forced politicians back to the Assembly to sort out public sector pay.

“Healthcare assistants in North and South Tees are on strike today. And later this week support staff will walk out in Leicestershire.

“A national care service is a must. Until the crisis in social care is fixed, the broken NHS can’t be put back together.

“Older people who need care have spent their lives working and contributing to this country.

“The least they can expect is decent care for the final part of their lives. The workforce entrusted to look after them should be given decent pay for the skilled work they do.”

Notes to editors:
-UNISON’s annual health conference continues until tomorrow (Wednesday 10 April) at the Brighton Centre, Kings Road, Brighton BN1 2GR. Health workers from across the UK have been in attendance to debate a variety of motions including NHS pay, mileage rates, bank staff, shorter working weeks, support for healthcare students, tackling racism, mental health, sexual safety, healthcare assistant rebanding, artificial intelligence and safe staffing.
– 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
Anthony Barnes M: 07834 864794 E: a.barnes@unison.co.uk

The article Health workers deserve better than this government first appeared on the UNISON National site.