Category: Sara Gorton

All employers in the NHS must play by the same rules

Commenting on the announcement today (Monday) that staff at some non-NHS organisations will benefit from government funding for the cost of their one-off payments as part of the NHS pay award, UNISON head of health Sara Gorton said:

“This will ensure a small number of providers aren’t out of pocket for awarding staff what they’re legally owed, but this should have happened months ago.

“Sadly this won’t stop thousands of contractors and ‘bank’ providers from ignoring calls to do the right thing by paying the lump sum to outsourced and temporary staff in the NHS. Many of these workers are on low wages and insecure contracts.

“Ministers must end the two-tier employment scandal in the NHS and ensure all employers in the service play by the same rules.”

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.
– UNISON has been running Us2, a campaign to ensure people working for private contractors in the NHS get the same pay as their colleagues who are directly employed. As a result, UNISON has lodged claims across the country.

Media contacts:
Fatima Ayad M: 07508 080383 E: f.ayad@unison.co.uk
Anthony Barnes M: 07834 864794 E: a.barnes@unison.co.uk

The article All employers in the NHS must play by the same rules first appeared on the UNISON National site.

All employers in the NHS must play by the same pay rules

Commenting on the announcement today (Monday) that the government is to provide funding so employees of some non-NHS organisations can receive the same one-off payment for last year as directly employed staff, UNISON head of health Sara Gorton said:

“This will ensure a small number of providers aren’t out of pocket for awarding staff what they’re legally owed, but this should have happened months ago.

“Sadly this won’t stop thousands of contractors and ‘bank’ providers from ignoring calls to do the right thing by paying the lump sum to outsourced and temporary staff in the NHS. Many of these workers are on low wages and insecure contracts.

“Ministers must end the two-tier employment scandal in the NHS and ensure all employers in the service play by the same rules.”

Notes to editors:
– Earlier in the year, UNISON launched Us2. It’s a campaign to ensure people working for private contractors in the NHS get the same pay as their directly employed colleagues in England.
– 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:
Fatima Ayad M: 07508 080383 E: f.ayad@unison.co.uk

The article All employers in the NHS must play by the same pay rules first appeared on the UNISON National site.

Surge plans needed to spare NHS staff and patients this winter

Responding to the latest NHS England data published today (Thursday) showing a record 7.75m people are awaiting treatment, UNISON head of health Sara Gorton said: 

“The data paints a grim picture of what lies ahead.

“Staff have been working in exceptionally challenging circumstances, with many suffering burnout. And all this is happening well ahead of winter and its extra pressures.

“Delivering patient services through another record-breakingly bad winter cannot come at the expense of the wellbeing of health workers.  

“Without reassurance and realistic surge plans, staff will struggle and patients undoubtedly suffer.”

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

The article Surge plans needed to spare NHS staff and patients this winter first appeared on the UNISON National site.

Surge plans needed to spare NHS staff and patients this winter

Responding to the latest NHS England data published today (Thursday) showing a record 7.75m people are awaiting treatment, UNISON head of health Sara Gorton said: 

“The data paints a grim picture of what lies ahead.

“Staff have been working in exceptionally challenging circumstances, with many suffering burnout. And all this is happening well ahead of winter and its extra pressures.

“Delivering patient services through another record-breakingly bad winter cannot come at the expense of the wellbeing of health workers.  

“Without reassurance and realistic surge plans, staff will struggle and patients undoubtedly suffer.”

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

The article Surge plans needed to spare NHS staff and patients this winter first appeared on the UNISON National site.

Fix for NHS pay must be ‘at heart’ of any workforce solution, says UNISON 

Commenting on the publication of the NHS workforce plan, UNISON head of health Sara Gorton said:

“At long last there is a plan. Now everyone committed to making the NHS thrive again can focus on the challenge of filling the huge gaps in the workforce.

“Action on retention is key. There are simply too few staff across all jobs and services. That makes it difficult for the NHS to function as a modern health system.

“Finding a fix for pay must lie at the heart of any solution. The pay review body process no longer works.

“A new way to ensure competitive wage rises, that are paid to staff on time, is essential if there is to be an end to the industrial unrest plaguing the NHS.

“Plans to recruit more doctors and nurses cannot ignore the desperate NHS shortage of porters, cleaners, 999 call handlers and other support roles. Staff in non-clinical jobs are most at risk of being lost from the NHS for better paid, less stressful jobs elsewhere.

“The absence of proposals to mend social care is perhaps the biggest gap. Without action to fix care, the NHS will have to go on picking up the pieces of that broken system. There must be a national care service that mirrors the NHS.

“Increasing apprenticeships and nursing associate numbers are important aims as is growing the domestic workforce. They must be backed up with proper funding and infrastructure support.”

Notes to editors:
– UNISON is the UK’s largest union and the largest union in the NHS and in the ambulance sector, 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 Fix for NHS pay must be ‘at heart’ of any workforce solution, says UNISON  first appeared on the UNISON National site.

Fix for NHS pay must be ‘at heart’ of any workforce solution, says UNISON 

Commenting on the publication of the NHS workforce plan, UNISON head of health Sara Gorton said:

“At long last there is a plan. Now everyone committed to making the NHS thrive again can focus on the challenge of filling the huge gaps in the workforce.

“Action on retention is key. There are simply too few staff across all jobs and services. That makes it difficult for the NHS to function as a modern health system.

“Finding a fix for pay must lie at the heart of any solution. The pay review body process no longer works.

“A new way to ensure competitive wage rises, that are paid to staff on time, is essential if there is to be an end to the industrial unrest plaguing the NHS.

“Plans to recruit more doctors and nurses cannot ignore the desperate NHS shortage of porters, cleaners, 999 call handlers and other support roles. Staff in non-clinical jobs are most at risk of being lost from the NHS for better paid, less stressful jobs elsewhere.

“The absence of proposals to mend social care is perhaps the biggest gap. Without action to fix care, the NHS will have to go on picking up the pieces of that broken system. There must be a national care service that mirrors the NHS.

“Increasing apprenticeships and nursing associate numbers are important aims as is growing the domestic workforce. They must be backed up with proper funding and infrastructure support.”

Notes to editors:
– UNISON is the UK’s largest union and the largest union in the NHS and in the ambulance sector, 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 Fix for NHS pay must be ‘at heart’ of any workforce solution, says UNISON  first appeared on the UNISON National site.

NHS spending over £1m a week on private ambulances for 999 callouts, says UNISON 

The NHS is spending at least £61 million a year – over £1m a week or £167,000 a day – hiring private ambulances to attend emergency calls, says UNISON today (Monday) as its annual health conference opens in Bournemouth.

North West Ambulance Service spent more than £15m between January and December 2022 on private emergency services, according to data obtained by the union.

South Central Ambulance Service spent £19m over the past financial year, North East Ambulance Service is paying just under £7m annually, and South East Coast around £6m a year.

East Midlands Ambulance Service predicts a £9.5m spend in the financial year between 2022 and 2023, and the latest figures from Yorkshire Ambulance Service show the trust paid out £4.5m between 2021 and 2022.

The figures are based on responses from two thirds* of ambulance trusts in England that pay commercial companies to provide cover for critically ill patients.

More than a dozen private companies are being commissioned by ambulance trusts across England to fill widening gaps in services and to meet response times amid overwhelming demand, says UNISON.

Trusts are booking private emergency vehicles and crews up to a year in advance to be available to respond to emergency incidents such as road traffic accidents and stroke patients.

However, UNISON says spending tens of millions on private 999 cover is a short-term fix, not a long-term solution to the crisis in ambulance services.

With demand on ambulance services soaring, the union says this failed policy means that millions of pounds of public money are going into the pockets of private firms rather than being invested in more highly trained ambulance staff and better ambulances.

The money for private cover comes from one-off government ‘crisis management’ payments that are not guaranteed from year to year.

The union says this approach deters some ambulance trusts from investing in their own additional NHS vehicles and staff because of the ongoing costs incurred.

UNISON says private firms are capitalising on the crisis in ambulance services, by tempting paramedics and other crew away from NHS work. The boosted hourly rates might seem attractive but risk leaving staff without sick pay and pensions, the union adds.

In some cases, privately employed crews are being paid to stay with patients in hospital corridors until a bed can be found.

For example, University Hospitals Dorset NHS Foundation Trust has hired this additional cover known as ‘cohorting’ to allow NHS ambulances to leave queues outside A&E and get back out on the road to respond to 999 calls.

Responding to the figures, UNISON head of health Sara Gorton said: “This spend on private 999 services shows a lack of long-term planning and is a shocking waste of money. It’s nothing more than a sticking-plaster solution.

“Ambulance services are in a desperate state because the government has failed to invest long term.

“Patients are waiting ages for help to arrive or worse still dying before crews can reach them. Others are stuck in emergency vehicles outside hospitals for hours and hours on end waiting for a bed.

“This is a crisis of the government’s own making that can only be resolved with a long-term plan. Ministers must step up and come up with proper funding to tackle increasing demand and pay staff properly.”

Notes to editors:
– UNISON’s annual health conference opens today in Bournemouth and runs until Wednesday (19 April). Over the three days, health workers from all across the UK will come together to take part in debates on a wide variety of topics including pay, pensions, childcare, hospital food, ambulance pressures, mental health and challenging racism. UNISON general secretary Christina McAnea will give a speech to delegates at 2pm on Tuesday. Other speakers include Anita Charlesworth from the Health Foundation and Kate Bell from the TUC. The event takes place at the Bournemouth International Centre, Exeter Road, Bournemouth BH2 5BH. The conference opens at 9.30am on Monday and closes at lunchtime on Wednesday.
– *A total of 9 out of the 10 NHS ambulance trusts in England commission private 999 services. These include London Ambulance Service which did not provide a specific figure, South Western which only provided figures for 2019 to 2020, and East of England which did not provide figures.
– Staff employed by private firms for emergency cover include emergency care assistants, technicians, and paramedics.
– UNISON is the UK’s largest union and the largest union in the NHS and in the ambulance sector, 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 NHS spending over £1m a week on private ambulances for 999 callouts, says UNISON  first appeared on the UNISON National site.

Blog: Why this pay offer should be accepted

Thanks to the efforts of UNISON members in our NHS, the government has finally improved its offer on NHS pay.

It was only after UNISON announced our biggest day of strike action yet, with 32,000 members poised to strike, that the government agreed to hold talks.

UNISON members have shown immense courage in taking four days of strike action in England, building momentum in every corner of the country and maintaining incredible public support throughout.  

Together with unions from across the NHS, we have spent the last two weeks in talks to secure our NHS members a pay offer that properly protects, recognises and rewards the whole workforce. The NHS is one team, and every role in it is essential in providing excellent patient care.   

After intensive talks, the government’s offer to our health members now is a significant improvement on the 72p an hour they were awarded last summer:  

  • An additional one-off lump sum for 2022/23 which rises in value up the NHS pay bands. To provide a range, this is worth £1,655 for staff on Band 2 (over 8%), £2,009 for staff at the top of Band 5 and £3,789 for staff at the top of Band 9.  
  • A permanent 5% pay rise on all pay points for 2023/24.  
  • An increase to Band 2, raising the lowest pay point in the NHS to £11.45 an hour – 55p higher than the real Living Wage.  

UNISON is a member-led union, so it will now be up to our NHS members colleagues to decide whether to accept this offer.   

The health service group executive, our lead NHS committee, have carefully reviewed this offer and their recommendation is to accept. We are in no doubt that if it is not accepted, the government will take this offer off the table and the pay award NHS staff receive will be much worse.  

Very soon our NHS members will be asked to vote on whether they want to accept this offer in a consultation. The strike action that was planned for Monday 20 March will not go ahead, and there will be no further strike action for the duration of the consultation.  

We would not be where we are today without the extraordinary determination of all of our members. Our collective action has forced the government to listen and take action to improve the pay of all of our hardworking NHS staff. 

The article Blog: Why this pay offer should be accepted first appeared on the UNISON National site.

UNISON to recommend acceptance of NHS pay offer 

Commenting on the 2022/23 and 2023/24 pay offer to NHS staff in England, UNISON head of health Sara Gorton said:  

“It’s a shame it took so long to get here. Health workers had to take many days of strike action, and thousands more had to threaten to join them, to get their unions into the room and proper talks underway. 

“But following days of intensive talks between the government, unions and employers, there’s now an offer on the table for NHS staff. 

“If accepted, the offer would boost pay significantly this year and mean a wage increase next year that’s more than the government had budgeted for.  

“This is better than having to wait many more months for the NHS pay review body to make its recommendation.

“UNISON will now be putting this offer to the hundreds of thousands of health members in the union in the next few weeks, recommending acceptance.  

“In the coming days, health workers will have the chance to look at the full detail of what’s on offer and decide whether that’s enough to end the dispute. While that process takes place any planned industrial action will be paused.” 

Notes to editors: 
-Sara Gorton has been the lead negotiator for the unions in the talks with the government and the NHS staff council. 
-The offer to NHS staff in England is as follows: 
An additional one-off lump sum for 2022/23 that rises in value up the NHS pay bands. This is worth £1,655 for staff at the bottom of band 2 (for example porters, cleaners and healthcare assistants), £2,009 for staff at the top of band 5 (nurses, midwives, physiotherapists), £2,162 at the top of band 6 (paramedics, health visitors, senior occupational therapists) and £3,789 for staff at the top of band 9.
A permanent 5% pay rise on all pay points for 2023/24.
An increase to band 2 that makes the lowest pay point in the NHS £11.45 an hour – 55p higher than the real living wage.
-The next strike involving health workers belonging to UNISON was due to take place on Monday (20 March). This has now been paused.
-It is expected that the package will have consequences for devolved funding. The implications for disputes in Wales and Northern Ireland will be considered by unions and devolved governments in the coming days.

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 UNISON to recommend acceptance of NHS pay offer  first appeared on the UNISON National site.

Blog: We will be talking to resolve this dispute for members

UNISON is leading NHS pay negotiations starting today with government ministers. Our head of health, Sara Gorton, will be proceeding with caution but going to the table with the aim of resolving the dispute.

Thousands of ambulance staff, hospital workers and staff at NHS Blood and Transplant were due to walk out tomorrow in a significant escalation in our strike action. But the pressure from several days of strike action from December to February, and from new strike mandates secured in the past few weeks, has built on the government.

As I visited picket lines during our strike days, it was clear that the determination from our members to win fair pay was only growing stronger and stronger the longer the government failed to act.

These negotiations could have opened up as long ago as last July. That’s when UNISON first warned the government that the £1,400 flat rate pay award was not enough to deal with the staffing crisis in the NHS, or to avoid going into dispute with health unions.

After months of intransigence and missed opportunities by the government, the brave action of thousands of NHS workers has forced ministers to move from their position, offer more money for this year and next year and start negotiations.

Ignoring NHS workers for this long was a big mistake and refusing to take their concerns seriously has been hugely damaging for all involved. But, in good faith, we took their offer to start talks seriously.

The decision to suspend our strike action was made democratically by health members at the end of last week, but as no deal has been struck yet, we continue to prepare for further strike action should we need it if talks break down.

Lay members and UNISON officials will be closely monitoring progress of the talks, and we’re all clear that the dispute is not over yet. It will only be over when the dedicated and experienced staff working across the NHS, accept a deal that gives them the fair pay they deserve.

The article Blog: We will be talking to resolve this dispute for members first appeared on the UNISON National site.