NHS strike called off as staff at Mid Cheshire hospitals win compensation

Over 450 Health Care Assistants (HCAs) and Medical Imaging Assistants (MIAs) at Mid-Cheshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (MCHFT), who were due to strike for 75 hours next week, have called off their action after the trust agreed to honour the back pay they were owed, says UNISON.

The workers are due to receive a substantial pay rise and up to five years’ back pay after staff at the trust launched a campaign to demand fair pay for delivering clinical duties.

The employees assist nursing staff in delivering care on the wards and in clinics across the trust’s sites at Leighton Hospital in Crewe, the Elmhurst Centre in Winsford, and Victoria Infirmary in Northwich.

They 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.    

But a survey by UNISON found that most HCAs at the band 2 pay scale are routinely undertaking clinical tasks such as taking and monitoring blood, electrocardiogram (ECG) tests, and inserting cannulas.  

In May, over 400 staff signed a collective grievance, demanding that the trust match agreements made in seven trusts in Greater Manchester to provide back pay to April 2018.

Trust CEO Ian Moston attended a meeting with workers and pledged to match the back pay, only to go back on the pledge in subsequent meetings, according to UNISON.

This led to 99% of the workers voting to take strike action that was due to start on Monday (16 October).

However, UNISON and the trust reached an agreement-in-principle today (13 October) that, subject to a vote by union members, will see the affected workers uplifted to Band 3, with back pay to 1 April 2018 for all staff who have performed clinical duties over this period.

This agreement sees Mid Cheshire join East Cheshire and the seven Greater Manchester health trusts in moving thousands of low-paid HCAs onto the higher rate and back-dating pay to April 2018. 

UNISON members in the same roles at Wirral University Teaching Hospital NHS Trust and Warrington and Halton Hospitals NHS Trust are currently taking strike action over this issue, as their trusts refuse to match the deals elsewhere.

UNISON regional organiser David McKnight said: 

“We're pleased that the trust have listened and offered what HCAs have asked for since the beginning of their campaign.

“They have been working above their pay band for far too long. We’re glad that the trust has averted strike action by recognising this and entering discussions to achieve a fair settlement to compensate for years of exploitation.

“These workers, mainly low-paid women, have been really hit by the cost-of-living crisis while being grossly underpaid by their employer. Backdating pay to April 2018 will have a huge beneficial impact on theirs and their families’ lives.

“Wirral and Warrington and Halton trusts should follow East and Mid Cheshire’s lead by compensating their staff fairly.

“It’s an outrage that NHS trusts have been ripping-off their lowest paid for so many years. We’re very glad that Mid Cheshire has joined other trusts in doing the right thing.”

Sue, a Healthcare Assistant at Leighton Hospital said:

"Getting a pay rise and fair back pay is a big deal for us.

“We've been working so hard for low pay for years. It's a huge relief that our trust is finally recognising our efforts, we just wanted to get paid fairly for the work we do. We’re so happy that the trust has made this offer, and we can get back to doing what we love and looking after our patients."

*Band 2 HCAs should only undertake personal care duties according to NHS guidance. They are currently paid £22,383 annually, whereas band 3 staff earn between £22,816 and £24,336 after two years in the job. 

 **The Greater Manchester trusts that have resolved the issue over clinical support worker pay are: the Northern Care Alliance NHS Foundation Trust; Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust; Wrightington, Wigan and Leigh NHS Foundation Trust; Stockport NHS Foundation Trust; Tameside and Glossop Integrated Care NHS Foundation Trust; the Christie NHS Foundation Trust; and Pennine Care NHS Foundation Trust. 

UNISON is the UK’s largest union with more than 1.3 million members providing public services in education, local government, the NHS, police service and energy. They are employed in the public, voluntary and private sectors.