Healthcare assistants walk out in dispute over pay

Unison said the workers "provide vital support to nurses and other clinical staff"

Healthcare workers at Derriford Hospital in Plymouth have started two days of strike action over pay.

Unison said healthcare assistants, maternity care assistants, imaging care assistants and clinical support workers walked out at 00:00 BST for a 48-hour stoppage.

It said the workers "provide vital support to nurses and other clinical staff" and want pay that "better reflects their important role in patient care".

University Hospitals Plymouth NHS Trust said it had "tried and tested plans" to deal with any disruption from the strike and said it appreciated its staff.

University Hospitals Plymouth NHS Trust said it was focused on maintaining patient safety during the strike

The union said healthcare workers were routinely performing clinical tasks as well as personal care.

However, Unison said its members had not been "paid properly" by the trust despite the additional responsibilities.

Kerry Baigent, Unison's regional secretary, said: "Staff are not prepared to have their hard work undervalued and have been left with no choice but to take industrial action.

"Managers should do the right thing now and avoid risking needless disruption for patients."

Healthcare workers walked out at 00:00 BST on Monday for 48 hours

Unison said healthcare assistants on a specific salary band should only be providing personal care such as bathing and feeding patients.

However, staff were routinely undertaking "clinical tasks" including taking and monitoring blood, performing electrocardiogram tests and inserting cannulas, the union said.

It called for the trust to move the workers to the correct pay grade and provide back pay based on how long they had worked at the hospital.

A spokesperson for the trust said it recognised and appreciated the "huge contribution" that all its healthcare support workers make to patients.

'Safety is priority'

They said: "Following a national review of the job profiles for some support worker roles, we have been working with our staff and trades unions to clarify what healthcare support workers should be doing at different levels which has led to increases to the pay bands for a number of staff.

“We are committed to providing healthcare support workers with a resolution."

The spokesperson said the trust respected "colleagues' right to take strike action" and appreciated "that it can be a difficult decision to make, both professionally and personally".

The trust also said it was focused on maintaining patient safety during the strike.

"The safety of our patients and wellbeing of our staff remains our priority and we will continue to ensure our focus on these areas," it said.

"We will contact patients if their procedure or outpatient appointment is cancelled but they should attend a procedure or appointment if they have not heard from us."

It said patients could contact their GP, pharmacists, minor injury units or urgent treatment centres in a non-emergency situation.