Hospital staff hold protest in pay dispute

The protest was held over a pay dispute, the union Unison said

Healthcare assistants have protested outside a hospital in a dispute over pay.

Dozens of staff gathered outside Darlington Memorial Hospital holding banners and flags demanding they be "paid fairly".

Northern regional secretary for Unison, Clare Williams, said the row was over the amount of back pay owed to healthcare assistants who performed duties above their pay grades often for years.

County Durham and Darlington NHS Foundation Trust said it "deeply" valued staff and was open to discussions.

In February 2024 healthcare assistants at the trust, who are employed across Wearside and Teesside, were put into a higher salary band.

The trust said it also backdated people's pay on this higher band to July 2023.

But Ms Williams said the move did not recognise that for years and in some cases for decades, workers had performed duties above their grade.

Unison said staff felt "undervalued" and were considering strike action

She said staff felt "undervalued" and that even though the trust was negotiating with the union, they were frustrated by their employer's "failure to make a fair offer".

"Healthcare assistants want to have their voices heard," she said.

"If the trust fails to pay them fairly, they'll be left with little option but to consider strike action."

The trust said it believed its approach had been "fair and aligned with national policies".

It said it was "committed to finding a positive resolution".

The move follows staff at Northumbria Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust voting to take strike action over pay.