Regional Service Groups

About Healthcare in UNISON

We represent nursing, ancillary, professional, technical, managerial, administrative, clerical and ambulance staff at all levels. UNISON also holds the majority of officership positions on national negotiating bodies and is the leading union of local level in the NHS.

UNISON works:

1. To organise all those employed in the health service and to promote the advancement and spreading of knowledge among members within the Group.

2. To achieve equal access to the health service for all and to promote the maintenance and improvement of standards and competence among all health sector workers.

3. To provide and maintain educational facilities to support the maintenance and improvement of professional standards and competence and to encourage members to participate in them.

4. To improve standards of conduct and levels of competence among health care workers by promoting greater employee, consumer and user involvement and representation in the delivery of health care.

5. With all other interested parties, individuals and organisations to maintain and improve the quality of health care services to the public.

6. To ensure that health care continues to be provided in a manner consistent with the founding principles of the NHS, free at the point of delivery and without recourse to the introduction of market mechanisms or the involvement of the private sector.

7. To provide indemnification and protection of members against claims of professional malpractice, whist ensuring that employers continue to remain vicariously liable for the actions of their staff.

8. To negotiate pay and conditions of service on behalf of its members.

9. To promote professional and occupational standards.

10. In partnership with the Employer and other bodies including Education establishments to create and develop opportunities for life long learning and the knowledge and skills framework.

How we organise

In UNISON you are always a member of a branch that brings you together with other employees who do similar kinds of work or face common issues in their workplaces. Members elect workplace stewards and safety reps and vote for branch officers. Every branch is supported by its nearest UNISON regional centre where staff work with elected lay members.

Each UNISON branch elects its own reps to attend the UNISON national delegate conference and vote on behalf of all local branch members.

People like you are also elected through an annual individual ballot to UNISON's Health group. This body helps decide policies and activities and works with UNISON staff to support members.

Sector committees

There are sector committees representing the various groupings in the Health Group: Administrative and clerical Ambulance services Ancillary and maintenance Nursing and midwifery Professional and technical "B" Professions allied to medicine Senior managers.

Panels

UNISON also has a number of panels and forums dealing with issues for specific groups of staff.

Regions

Each UNISON region has a regional health committee with representative from local branches. Some regions also have sector committees.

Who to Contact

Debbie Turner
Chair Regional Health Care Committee
Telephone: 01257 245 482
Email: [email protected]
 
Paul Foley (Lead Role)
Telephone:  0161 661 6770   
Email:  [email protected]
Judith Holt (Administrative Support)
Telephone: 0161 661 6712
Email: [email protected]
 

Student Nurses 

UNISON has over 25,000 student nurse members. We are dedicated to campaigning for a better deal for nursing and midwifery students and run several campaigns around areas such as the bursary and accommodation.

Nursing and midwifery students are in a unique position as they work on the wards but do not have employment rights, and are students but do not adhere to a typical student calendar. Many nursing students work additional hours as Health Care Assistants to survive the financial hardship they face. This is often exhausting and potentially detrimental to their studies. UNISON has vast experience in representing students whilst they work as Health Care Assistants throughout their training.

As the future of the NHS student nurses often need guidance, and UNISON provides assistance and advice for their members throughout their three years' training. Please contact Gillian Breeze for more information, or visit our national website.

Primary Care Update

Primary Care update which includes the latest news on Transforming Community Services as well as a briefing on personal health budgets.

The Independent Safeguarding Authority (ISA)

Established in January 2008 after being created by the Safeguarding Vulnerable Groups Act 2006. It is a non-departmental public body based in Darlington that was created following the recommendations of the Bichard Enquiry into the Soham murders.  The overriding objective of the Authority is to help avoid harm, or risk of harm to children and vulnerable adults.  All individuals in England, Wales and Northern Ireland working or volunteering with vulnerable adults or children will be required to pay a one-off fee and register with the ISA.  UNISON is continuing to campaign around the cost of registration, duplication of regulation and the right to a fair hearing.

For more detailed information and campaign resources, please download the Factsheet,Word Document Branch GuideAdobe PDF document and PosterAdobe PDF documentSeptember 09 Circular Adobe PDF document

NHS under threat from privatisation

The government is proposing major changes to NHS community health services under its Transforming Community Services initiative.  Your local PCT may decide to outsource some services to the private sector or to social enterprises.  The staff who provide these services will be working for different employers and will no longer be part of the NHS.

UNISON knows that the overwhelming majority of primary care staff want to remain in the NHS. That’s why we are fighting these changes– both for NHS staff and the patients they care for.

Here in the North West we are running a vigorous campaign, working closely with the other NHS unions, to safeguard jobs and services and protect our members’ pay and conditions of service.  As part of this campaigning and organising work, we recently hosted a highly successful half-day Conference on Transforming Community Services, which was attended by over 60 Staff Side representatives from virtually every Primary Care Trust in the Region.”

Transforming Community Services in the North West

CONTACT DETAILS
• To find out more about membership benefits contact our helpline, UNISONdirect on 0845 355 0845. Lines are open 6am-midnight Mon to Fri and 9am-4pm Sat.

If you wish to join UNISON Click here

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