Welcome from UNISON Health - Ambulance Occupational Group

Hello to all our members working in the ambulance sector! A lot has happened since we last updated you in March, so in this edition, we’re going to update you on:

  • The NQP 2024 survey
  • An update on the Section 2 and Annex 5 deal for same band movement
  • The 2024 UNISON Ambulance Seminar
  • Diversifying our network of stewards

If you have any questions, please get in touch at h.group@unison.co.uk or ambulance@unison.co.uk.

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Complete the UNISON Newly Qualified Paramedic (NQP) 2024 Survey

If you’re a Newly Qualified Paramedic or have completed the NQP programme within the last five years, we want you to complete our ‘NQP survey 2024’ by clicking on this link

The survey should only take 5 minutes to complete and will be used to find out more about your experiences as an NQP and the issues you face at work. We will use the findings in our discussions with your employers to ensure the programme is being used as intended and identify areas for improvement.

The survey will close on 31 August. The more responses we get, the stronger our voice is when raising concerns on your behalf.

Please note, this survey is also open to non-members too, so feel free to forward the link to non-member colleagues and encourage them to join UNISON!

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Ambulance Reps Come Together for 2024 Ambulance Seminar

From the 17th to the 19th of May, UNISON ambulance branches from across the UK attended our UNISON Health Ambulance Seminar 2024 at the University of Warwick.

Representatives took part in a series of engaging sessions to help shape the future work priorities of the Ambulance Occupational Group (AOG). These sessions focused on future policies impacting the NHS and the ambulance sector, race equality specific to the ambulance sector, sexual safety in the workplace, pensions and retirement age for ambulance staff, and lessons learnt from the ambulance industrial action in 2022/23.

All these sessions helped us shape the AOG workplan for the next year, which includes three main priorities:

  1. Retirement age and pensions campaign
  2. Addressing and improving race equality/representation in the ambulance sector
  3. Improving the NQP programme

We will continue to update you on any progress we make on these priority areas, as well as other relevant campaigns that will be of interest to you as a member working in the ambulance sector.

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Diversifying Our Network of Ambulance Stewards

This summer, we have released an article jointly with the Association of Ambulance Chief Executives (AACE) in their Keeping P’AACE publication summer issue on ‘UNISON: RECOGNISING THE NEED TO DIVERSIFY’. You can read the article here.

We published this piece with the aim of raising awareness on how, why, and what the significance is for UNISON to champion the work of diversifying our ambulance stewards. This particularly aligns with our key priorities for the next year to focus on addressing the inequalities highlighted in the Race for Equality campaign in relation to the ambulance sector.

As well as black reps, we are also keen to recruit more women, disabled, and LGBT+ reps. If you’re interested in learning more about what these roles might entail, please contact your local UNISON branch or ambulance@unison.co.uk.

Remember, you are legally entitled to time off for your reps training and AACE is keen to support UNISON in diversifying our network of reps to better represent the ambulance workforce.

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Ambulance Case Studies for Flexibilities in the NHS Pension Scheme

We want to progress our work on pensions and the retirement age by exploring different options of flexibilities within the NHS pension scheme including redeployment, stepping down, and applying for partial retirement.

We’re looking to build case studies exploring these options as we move to agree on our position as part of this campaign and ways to work with employers.

Would you, or do you know of any ambulance members who might be willing to work with us on developing a case study?

If you’re interested, please contact us by 15 August 2024!

Email us your case studies

UNISON PRESS RELEASE - 07 MAY 2024

UNISON has today (Tuesday) revealed a survey which shows the widespread failure of the Scottish government to prepare the NHS for the country’s new Safe Staffing Act.

Despite the Act coming into effect on April 5, Scottish government guidance was only made a few days prior, meaning the majority of staff have still received no training or guidance on the new rights and obligations under the Act.

The survey lays bare the reality of working in Scotland’s NHS and reveals:

· Eight in ten staff no longer have confidence in existing procedures for dealing with inadequate staffing
· Almost two thirds (65%) of staff were unaware of the NHS Safe Staffing legislation
· An overwhelming majority (89%) of staff had received no training on the new regulations

Matt McLaughlin, UNISON Scotland’s head of health, said: “The government has had over four years to prepare for this new law, yet guidance was only made available four days before it became law.

“There’s a direct link between staffing levels and high quality outcomes for patients. Our members repeatedly tell us they do not have enough staff or enough time to give patients the care they need and deserve.

“In wards where they do meet staffing requirements, there is often not the correct skill mix to meet patients’ needs. This puts patients’ safety at risk and puts staff in unacceptably stressful situations.

“The reality is that staff don’t believe things are safe and NHS staff are left picking up the slack while no one holds their hospitals accountable.”

UNISON says many incidents of short-staffing is not reported as the recording tool, Datix, is time-consuming and cumbersome, meaning many incidents of short-staffing are not reported. We also received many reports that staff were discouraged from making reports at all.

Matt McLaughlin continued: “The Scottish government does not have a true picture of the scale of the short-staffing situation in the NHS as incidents of short-staffing are chronically under-reported – staff simply do not have the time. And an obvious weakness is that key support staff are not included.

“The Act is potentially a powerful tool for driving up standards – but it can only make a difference if people know how to use it. And when incidents are reported, there is help from health boards to fix the situation.

Despite the Act being in place for almost a month, the majority of staff have received no training on the new legislation. The Scottish government is failing patients and staff and it’s high time it prioritised tackling the staffing crisis in the NHS.”

Further information

· You can view UNISON Scotland’s NHS staffing survey here: https://unison-scotland.org/wp-content/uploads/010524-NHS-safe-staffing-survey-FINAL-DP-TH.pdf More than 3,500 NHS members who are covered by the Act took part in the survey.

· Case studies are available on request. You can make a bid by contacting d.phillips@unison.co.uk

· UNISON is Scotland’s largest health union and represents health workers across the NHS including nurses, midwives, paramedics, porters and administrative workers.

· The Health and Care (Staffing) (Scotland) Act 2019 – more commonly known as the Safe Staffing Act – came into force in April 2024. It places a duty on health boards to ensure adequate numbers of appropriately qualified staff are working in healthcare settings.

Comments from NHS staff

“Our ward is always short staffed, I can count on one hand the amount of shifts that have actually been fully staffed in the last 2 years” Staff nurse, Highland

“Increased staff patient ratios recently due to surge in beds being used in non traditional bed spaces such as corridors. This is being accepted as normal practice within the organisation.” Occupational therapist, NHS Grampian

“Have been on nightshifts when there have been only 2 midwives and me with a full ward of 24 mums and babies.” Maternity care assistant, NHS Lothian

“Regularly work on a night shift as the only band 5 for 27 mental health patients.” Staff nurse, NHS Lothian

“Nurses simply do not have the time to give the patients the time and care they deserve.” Staff nurse, NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde

“No point in doing datix as nothing gets done.” Staff nurse, NHS Lothian