NHS told to ‘do the right thing’ and pay HCAs properly
Unison has demanded that NHS employers increase pay for healthcare assistants (HCAs) who are performing duties above their pay grade, as it announces further upcoming strikes.
The union has been campaigning nationally for many HCAs, sometimes referred to as healthcare support workers or other similar titles, to be elevated from Agenda for Change pay band 2 to band 3.
“Managers shouldn’t leave it until a strike is called before deciding to act.
Christina McAnea
This campaign, Fair Pay for Patient Care, is addressing widespread reports of HCAs on band 2 performing clinical duties such as taking and monitoring blood and performing electrocardiograms (ECGs), where NHS guidance states a band 2 worker should only be performing personal care.
The campaign also demands that HCAs are awarded back pay for the years when they had been performing these additional duties.
Unison members, since the launch of the campaign, have organised strikes at NHS trusts across the country, including many in the North West of England, after demands for up-banding or back pay were not met.
Most recently, earlier this week, HCAs went on strike outside at Derriford Hospital, Plymouth, over a failure by University Hospitals Plymouth NHS Trust to meet Unison’s demands for back pay.
HCAs striking in Plymouth
And, Unison has now announced, HCAs at Surrey and Sussex Healthcare NHS Trust will strike “in the coming weeks”, while negotiations over up-banding and back pay at two trusts in the North East of England continue.
Christina McAnea, Unison general secretary, called on trusts to “do the right thing” and make appropriate banding and back pay offers before further strikes break out.
“Years of tight financial settlements have left the NHS in a precarious state. But that’s no reason not to pay staff the correct wages for the important jobs they do,” said Ms McAnea.
“Keeping healthcare assistants on the lowest NHS pay band, when the complex jobs they do call for a higher rate, is a false economy.”
She warned that, without good pay deals, NHS worker retention would worsen and experienced HCAs may leave in favour of “handsome” salaries offered elsewhere.
Ms McAnea added: “All trusts should do the right thing and ensure they’re paying their entire workforce fairly.
“Managers shouldn’t leave it until a strike is called before deciding to act.
“No one wants to take action, lose a day’s wages and create disruption for patients. But if that’s what it takes, then that’s what staff will do to win fair pay for patient care.”
