Theatre staff at Leeds Teaching Hospitals to strike for five-days as row continues over back-pay
Hospital staff in Leeds are set to strike for five-days later this week, UNISON has announced.
Starting Thursday (January 29), NHS staff who work in operating theatres in hospitals across Leeds will take industrial action. It comes following an “unproductive” meeting with hospital managers earlier today, UNISON said.
The union said theatre assistants are on the lowest grade in the NHS but carry out crucial clinical work, such as collecting samples, assisting with complex machinery, and establishing a sterile environment, which should be paid at a higher level.
Staff, who work at three sites run by Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, walked out for 48 hours in December as part of their ongoing campaign.
UNISON Yorkshire and Humberside regional manager Leonie Sharp said: “There would be no need for staff to be back out on the picket line if senior managers at the trust took this seriously. Staff feel they have no option but to strike to make trust bosses realise how serious this issue is.
“They carry out crucial tasks to make sure vulnerable patients are operated on safely. They just want to be paid fairly for the work they do.”
The union says the employees should be moved to the correct pay grade and compensated for the extra duties they’ve already completed. UNISON added that the trust’s “refusal to pay staff fairly” is out of line with other hospital trusts across the region, and around the country.
Since 2021, over 100 NHS trusts and health boards in England and Wales have agreed deals on regrading and back pay worth £250m for more than 65,000 healthcare support workers. One such deal at Calderdale and Huddersfield NHS Foundation Trust was overseen by Brendan Brown, the current interim chief executive at Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust.
Dr Magnus Harrison, Chief Medical Officer at Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, said: “We want all our colleagues to feel valued and able to raise their concerns. We are continuing to work closely with theatre colleagues and staff-side representatives to reach a resolution as soon as possible.
“In the meantime, we have put plans in place to minimise disruption to patients during the periods of strike action.”
Strike action will take place from 8am January 29 to 8am January 31 and from 8am February 2 to 8am February 5, rather than over one single period. Leeds Teaching Hospitals have said.
Any patients requiring emergency care should continue to use emergency services as they normally would by calling 999 or visiting A&E. For other health concerns, please use NHS 111, your GP services and local pharmacy.