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Hundreds of staff at seven hospitals across the North Tees and Hartlepool and the South Tees NHS trusts walked out on strike at 7am on Monday for 24 hours.

NHS guidance claims healthcare assistants on a salary band 2 should only be providing personal care to patients such as bathing and feeding. 

UNISON, however, claims most healthcare assistants have been routinely undertaking clinical tasks that fall within band 3 duties, including taking and monitoring blood and inserting cannula tubes into patients.

David Newey, UNISON area organiser (front right) and Yvonne Tait, senior healthcare assistant at the University Hospital of Hartlepool (front left) stand outside the University Hospital of Hartlepool alongside their fellow colleagues who are also striking in dispute of pay.

Yvonne Tait, a senior healthcare assistant at the University Hospital of Hartlepool’s outpatient department, said: “I have been doing this job for 31 years now and all we want really is recognition for the job that we do.

"All we are asking for is a band 3 and the back pay.

"We have been fighting for this for a few years now and all we are wanting is four years back pay.

"Other places in the country have won a lot more and I think we are being more than fair in asking for what we are entitled to.”

Yvonne Tait, a senior healthcare assistant at the University Hospital of Hartlepool, has worked at the hospital for 31 years and has joined her colleagues in strike action in dispute over pay. Healthcare assistants across the Trust believe they have been doing the work of a higher pay band and are fighting for a change in their pay to reflect this.

The union says the staff should be paid up to £2,000 more each year for performing the duties and tasks above their current pay grade.

North Tees and Hartlepool NHS Foundation Trust has said it supports moving staff to higher grades where applicable and have committed to back date pay to July 2021.

But UNISON will not accept this offer.

David Newey, UNISON area organiser, said: “They have been working above their pay grade as band 2s for years and years at the NHS Trust and they have tried to resolve this but the trust has failed to do it.”

David Newey, UNISON area organiser, stands outside the University Hospital of Hartlepool alongside healthcare assistants who are on strike over a dispute in pay.

UNISON northern regional secretary, Clare Williams, said: “Staff are disappointed the trusts have failed to put an acceptable offer on the table.

"They feel they’ve been left with no choice but to take strike action.

“This is no way to treat loyal staff, especially when trusts in other parts of the country have made significantly better offers.

“Further action can be avoided if the trusts pay their hard-working and dedicated staff fairly.”

Hartlepool healthcare assistants go on strike in dispute over pay