UNISON and Healthcare
UNISON is the UK's largest healthcare trade union - over 400,000 people who work in the NHS and for private contractors providing NHS services are UNISON members.

Our health members are nurses, student nurses, midwives, health visitors, healthcare assistants, paramedics, cleaners, porters, catering staff, medical secretaries, clerical and admin staff and scientific and technical staff.

And that's not all of us!

UNISON is a powerful voice for working people in the United Kingdom. We have over 1.3 million members working in public services, the community and voluntary sector and for private companies.

Looking after people at work

We represent our members in many ways, offering help and advice at work, raising your professional/local concerns or by highlighting issues that will affect all health workers at a national level. We work together to make sure our members' concerns are heard - whether itis about pay, health and safety, discrimination or the future of our NHS.

Looking after the NHS

But there is more to UNISON than looking after people at work. We care passionately about the future of the NHS as a publicly funded service that is free at the point of delivery. This makes campaigning to stop the increasing involvement of the private sector in the provision of health care services a priority for us.

Scientific, technical and dental workers

Guidance for trade union reps and managers facing restructuring within science, technical and therapy roles

Many departments are currently subject to proposals to restructure. This guidance note has been drawn up to provide trade union representatives with ideas of the types of questions which they should be raising when restructuring is proposed.

Health care

NHS Guidance On Sickness Absence

(29/11/2012) The NHS Staff Council sub group on health and safety, with representatives from NHS Organisations and staff side trade unions has published jointly agreed Guidelines on the management of sickness absence.

Health care

NHS employers must show solid commitment to agenda for change

Leading health activists for UNISON, the UK’s largest union, have today called for a branch consultation across England as a result of controversial, national negotiations on changes to NHS terms and conditions – Agenda for Change.

Health care

BAOT/UNISON National Occupational Therapy Stewards' Seminar

Materials from the BAOT/UNISON National Occupational Therapy Stewards' Seminar, held on Tuesday 13 and Wednesday 14 November 2012 at the Lakeside Centre, Aston University, Birmingham.

Agenda for change

Proposals on changes to the Agenda for Change agreement

This document sets out the proposed changes to the NHS Terms and Conditions of Service Handbook. This is a joint set of proposals on changes to the NHS Terms and Conditions of Service Handbook in England only which covers staff on Agenda for Change contracts.

Health care

Healthcare Assistants and Assistant Practitioners Conference 2012

(7/11/12) This years Conference will be at the Crown Plaza in Glasgow on the 26th-27th November 2012. Speakers will include Christina McAnea, National Secretary for Health and Speakers from Skills for Health and Ros Moore, Chief Nursing Officer for Scotland

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

UNISON works:

• to organise all those employed in the health service and to promote the advancement and spreading of knowledge among members within the Group
• 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
• 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
• 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
• with all other interested parties, individuals and organisations to maintain and improve the quality of health care services to the public
• 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
• 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
• to negotiate pay and conditions of service on behalf of its members
• to promote professional and occupational standards
• 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

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.