Nottingham hospitals urology staff to vote over possible strike

Unison said there were concerns the changes would leave the urology site short-staffed

Workers at a hospital trust are to vote on possible strike action following claims of bullying by senior managers.

Unison said staff at the Nottingham Urology Centre, based at City Hospital, raised concerns when they were told to also work on a gynaecology ward.

The union for public service workers said staff lodged a grievance but were "subjected to bullying".

A Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust spokesperson said it was listening to the concerns.

Unison said urology staff were first told they would be supporting the gynaecology ward at the end of last year.

It was proposed that four or five members of the City Hospital team would be temporarily relocated to the Queen's Medical Centre for one day each week.

The plan would see staff working shifts at a different hospital

Unison said staff raised concerns they did not have the correct expertise to work in gynaecology and feared it would leave the urology site short-staffed.

The plans were shelved but then resurfaced at the start of this year.

Unison said staff were told the changes would see the urology and gynaecology teams blended permanently.

Dave Ratchford, the union's regional officer for healthcare in Nottinghamshire, said staff lodged a grievance but were "subjected to bullying".

"Senior managers came out to the team and shouted at their local leaders," he said.

'Positive action'

Jamie Godber, Unison representative for staff, said the treatment of urology staff was "not surprising" following a recent hospital inspection that found there was a culture of bullying at the hospital trust.

"The senior management have this very authoritarian view of how they're going to treat their staff," he said.

The union said it was running an indicative ballot asking members if they were prepared to take industrial action over the proposed changes.

Mr Godber also said "very positive" talks were under way with the hospital trust.

"We've heard positive words before, what we require is positive action," he said.

Dr Neil Pease, chief people officer at Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust, said: "We are working with our colleagues to listen to their concerns.

"We have met with them on several occasions, most recently on 20 October, where there has been positive dialogue.

"We are working together to agree next steps and hopefully achieve a solution that is in the best interests of our staff and patients."