Healthcare workers in Swansea Bay are considering taking strike action due to issues with their pay. The UNISON union has reported that over 700 healthcare support workers in the Swansea Bay University Health Board are unhappy with their current pay situation and feel they have been underpaid for their work. The staff, based at hospitals such as Morriston and Singleton in Swansea, as well as Neath Port Talbot Hospital in Port Talbot, claim they are being required to perform tasks outside the scope of their designated job descriptions.
According to NHS guidelines, healthcare assistants on salary band two should primarily provide personal care tasks like bathing and feeding patients. However, the support staff in Swansea Bay hospitals allege that they are frequently undertaking clinical duties such as blood monitoring, electrocardiogram tests, and cannula insertions. UNISON Cymru regional organiser, Lianne Owen, emphasised that healthcare support workers are among the lowest paid staff in the NHS and are often expected to carry out responsibilities without proper compensation.
The ballot for strike action is set to take place from October 17 to November 14, with union representatives urging the Swansea Bay University Health Board to address the pay discrepancy and fairly remunerate their staff. Hollie Arnold, a healthcare support worker and UNISON representative at Neath Port Talbot Hospital, expressed the workers’ desire to be adequately paid for their skilled work and called for better recognition and compensation from management.
The healthcare workers’ potential strike action could have significant implications for hospital operations in the Swansea Bay area. UNISON is hopeful that through dialogue and fair compensation, the need for strike action can be averted, ensuring that healthcare workers are valued and fairly paid for their vital contributions to the healthcare system.