HOSPITAL bosses say they are planning to “significantly invest” in their “valued” staff after more than 300 Health Care Support Workers at Warrington and Halton NHS marched on their boss to demand an end to years of underpayment.
The Health Care Support Workers (HCSWs) at Warrington & Halton Hospitals NHS Trust presented a collective grievance yesterday (Thursday) to demand fair pay for delivering clinical duties.
A group of over 70 HCSWs presented the grievance in-person to senior trust executives at Warrington Hospital and called for back-pay and the re-banding of their jobs to reflect the clinical work they do.
The staff, employed across the trust’s sites at Warrington and Halton hospitals, are currently paid at Band 2. Band 2 staff should only undertake personal care, such as supporting patients with toileting, bathing and feeding, and are paid up to £1,800 a year less than the Band 3 rate.
However over 360 staff at the Trust completed a survey circulated by their trade union UNISON, and the results show that most staff are regularly and routinely doing clinical duties such as taking and monitoring bloods; carrying out electrocardiogram (ECG) tests; and recording patient observations. All these duties should be paid at least Band 3.
The survey also showed that most staff have been doing clinical duties for many years whilst only paid as a Band 2. This means that dedicated and hard-working staff have lost thousands of pounds in pay over the years, says UNISON.
As a result of workers campaigning in UNISON elsewhere, six other health trusts across the North West have all moved many Band 2 staff onto the higher rate, and paid back-pay to the affected staff up to April 2018.
As well as presenting a grievance signed by over 300 staff, the Band 2 health workers called on chief nurse and deputy chief executive Kimberley Salmon-Jamieson to pledge that Band 2 staff would receive the same uplift and backpay as the other trusts. Band 2 HCSWs resolved to continue the campaign and have launched a petition of their colleagues to support a re-banding claim.
As they presented their grievance, the affected staff gave testimony about the duties they undertake and how their unpaid and unrecognised work benefits the Warrington and Halton communities.
Liv, a Band 2 HCSW, said, “In the A&E department, Band 2 HCSWs are responsible for duties like venepuncture, ECG testing, and even blood cultures which used to be a band 6 or above role. The hospitals wouldn’t function without us.
“I am a mum of two young children, my husband also works in the trust as a Band 2 and we have to take on extra shifts every week, sacrificing spending any time as a family just to make ends meet.
“We come home exhausted from this hard, important work and our wages barely cover childcare costs and bills.
“To find out that the trust have been taking advantage of so many of us for so many years and are still refusing to pay us properly is absolutely devastating.”
Angela Blundell, UNISON North West Regional Organiser, said: “Over the years, Warrington & Halton Hospitals NHS Trust has relied on dedicated and hard-working Health Care Support Workers to work beyond their pay band to provide exceptional care to people across Warrington and Halton. The trust have exploited their skills, experience, and goodwill by making them provide care on the cheap.
“The trust are currently proposing that some Band 2 staff will be re-banded but there is no talk whatsoever of back-pay to recognise the many years that staff have been undertaking duties above their band.
“Other NHS Trusts across the region have re-graded their HCSWs and paid back-pay to April 2018. Two months ago, the chief executive at Mid Cheshire NHS Foundation Trust, Ian Moston, signed a pledge to ensure their HCSWs would be re-banded on the same terms. Why are HCSWs in Warrington and Halton worth any less than HCSWs in Crewe?
“It’s time the trust offered their staff the back-pay they deserve. UNISON members won’t stop fighting until they’ve won reward and recognition for their years of service working above their pay band.”
After being contacted by Warrington Worldwide WHH Chief Nurse and Deputy Chief Executive, Kimberley Salmon-Jamieson said: “Our Health Care Support Workers (HCSW) are essential and valued members of our team and we are currently undertaking a staff consultation about proposals to significantly invest in these roles.
This includes a plan to increase the pay bandings for HCSWs and provide greater development and training opportunities.
“We are working in partnership with both the local and regional staff side representatives and the team leaders across WHH to ensure staff remain well informed and supported throughout the process which will include discussions about the points raised at the meeting.”
