UNISON healthcare assistants at North Tees and Hartlepool and South Tees NHS trusts vote to strike

Healthcare assistants at seven sites across North Tees & Hartlepool NHS Foundation Trust and South Tees Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust are set to walk out unless hospital managers improve an offer on back pay.

96% of staff across the two trusts backed strike action said the union UNISON.

Strike dates have yet to be set but the action would affect healthcare assistants at Hartlepool and North Tees university hospitals and The James Cook University Hospital in Middlesbrough.

UNISON says most healthcare assistants have routinely undertaken clinical tasks which come under a higher salary band than they are on such as taking blood, performing electrocardiogram tests and inserting cannulas.

While health trusts have agreed to move them up to a higher band, UNISON want them to receive back pay to 2019.

North Tees and Hartlepool trust bosses have so far only agreed to back date to July 2021.

Clare Williams, UNISON Northern regional secretary, said: “The majority of healthcare assistants have been working well above their salary band for years.

“It’s time the trusts did the right thing and paid them properly for that work.”

A healthcare assistant at the University Hospital of Hartlepool, named only as Penny, said: “Support staff feel they are not respected or rewarded for the work they do.

"All we are asking for is to be fairly paid for the work we have done. The current offer is simply not good enough.”

A spokesperson for North Tees and Hartlepool NHS Foundation Trust said: “Our healthcare assistants are vital and valued members of our workforce, providing outstanding care to our patients across the organisation.

“Since changes made nationally to the banding for these roles, we have been working closely with trade union colleagues to move our healthcare assistants to these grades where applicable.

"The Trust support this move and the benefits to our HCA workforce and therefore have committed to back pay dating back to July 2021 – the date the national job profile for the clinical support worker role changed.

“This deal was rejected and the Trust board and people team continues to meet regularly with regional representatives from UNISON to discuss next steps.”