Latest news with #KevinMcNamara
BBC News
5 days ago
- Business
- BBC News
Striking Gloucestershire NHS staff extend strike to 22 June
Medical staff who take blood samples have extended their current strike, which has now reached its 70th - staff who specialise in taking blood samples - at Gloucestershire Royal Hospital first contacted Kevin McNamara, chief executive, in September 2024 to raise concerns about pay, UNISON union said Mr McNamara still has not met the phlebotomists, who make 15p above minimum wage at £12.36 per hour, and that the strike will now continue up to 22 Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust has been approached for comment, but previously said it "would like to sit down with the union and work this through". According to NHS guidance, staff with phlebotomist skills should be earning at least 77p more per hour that they currently do, UNISON union added a formal NHS job evaluation panel reviewed their case earlier this year, with the majority of panel members concluding the workers were on the wrong the union claimed, the panel was shut down by "senior trust managers" before a decision could be South West regional organiser Chris Roche said: "These trained specialists support patients with complex needs and take blood samples in challenging circumstances."They've shown incredible courage in standing up for themselves and have been through the correct process, but they've been met with nothing but excuses and silence."It's time for Kevin McNamara to stop hiding behind his senior team and meet with the workers affected. Patients and staff deserve better."
Yahoo
11-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Jobs could be lost amid plans for NHS mergers
Jobs could be lost amid plans for health authorities in Gloucestershire to be merged with those in neighbouring counties. A national blueprint has been published setting out changes to the function of Integrated Care Boards (ICB) which would see responsibilities go to neighbourhood providers and NHS regions. Gloucestershire currently has its own ICB but health bosses were told on 8 May that this could soon change. Gloucestershire Hospitals NHS Trust chief executive Kevin McNamara said a significant reductions of non-clinical staff was expected. Central government wants to reduce the running costs of ICBs by around 50 per cent and cut non-clinical leadership by half, a Gloucestershire Hospitals NHS Trust board was told at a meeting last week. Mr McNamara said: "There will be human impact. We are working closely with ICB and Gloucestershire Health and Care NHS Foundation Trust colleagues to work our way through this." He said there was a vacancy freeze for non-clinical roles in the organisation unless they had a direct bearing on patient or staff safety or were business critical, reports the Local Democracy Reporting Service. "It's pretty fast moving," he said. He explained that over the next few months more would be known as discussions about how ICBs should be clustered was ongoing. More news stories for Gloucestershire Listen to the latest news for Gloucestershire NHS England has published guidance showing the roles and responsibilities of health authorities and ICBs. Mr McNamara said the NHS could be more efficient and said in Gloucestershire some of the corporate back office functions were triplicated. The NHS Gloucestershire Integrated Care Board said in a statement that any structural changes to the ICBs would not affect the current day to day provision of health services. It said the board would continue to have a critical role as strategic commissioners working to improve health, reduce inequalities and improve healthcare access. A spokesperson added: "In order to meet our more focused strategic commissioning role and the requirement to reduce our organisational costs, the ICB footprint is likely to be larger in the future, but it will be crucial to retain strong 'place' based arrangements and partnerships at a local level." Follow BBC Gloucestershire on Facebook, X and Instagram. Send your story ideas to us on email or via WhatsApp on 0800 313 4630. 'Blood test delays' as workers continue pay protest NHS phlebotomists six weeks into strikes over pay Maternity services rated 'unsafe' by inspectors Local Democracy Reporting Service
Yahoo
11-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Jobs could be lost amid plans for NHS mergers
Jobs could be lost amid plans for health authorities in Gloucestershire to be merged with those in neighbouring counties. A national blueprint has been published setting out changes to the function of Integrated Care Boards (ICB) which would see responsibilities go to neighbourhood providers and NHS regions. Gloucestershire currently has its own ICB but health bosses were told on 8 May that this could soon change. Gloucestershire Hospitals NHS Trust chief executive Kevin McNamara said a significant reductions of non-clinical staff was expected. Central government wants to reduce the running costs of ICBs by around 50 per cent and cut non-clinical leadership by half, a Gloucestershire Hospitals NHS Trust board was told at a meeting last week. Mr McNamara said: "There will be human impact. We are working closely with ICB and Gloucestershire Health and Care NHS Foundation Trust colleagues to work our way through this." He said there was a vacancy freeze for non-clinical roles in the organisation unless they had a direct bearing on patient or staff safety or were business critical, reports the Local Democracy Reporting Service. "It's pretty fast moving," he said. He explained that over the next few months more would be known as discussions about how ICBs should be clustered was ongoing. More news stories for Gloucestershire Listen to the latest news for Gloucestershire NHS England has published guidance showing the roles and responsibilities of health authorities and ICBs. Mr McNamara said the NHS could be more efficient and said in Gloucestershire some of the corporate back office functions were triplicated. The NHS Gloucestershire Integrated Care Board said in a statement that any structural changes to the ICBs would not affect the current day to day provision of health services. It said the board would continue to have a critical role as strategic commissioners working to improve health, reduce inequalities and improve healthcare access. A spokesperson added: "In order to meet our more focused strategic commissioning role and the requirement to reduce our organisational costs, the ICB footprint is likely to be larger in the future, but it will be crucial to retain strong 'place' based arrangements and partnerships at a local level." Follow BBC Gloucestershire on Facebook, X and Instagram. Send your story ideas to us on email or via WhatsApp on 0800 313 4630. 'Blood test delays' as workers continue pay protest NHS phlebotomists six weeks into strikes over pay Maternity services rated 'unsafe' by inspectors Local Democracy Reporting Service
BBC News
11-05-2025
- Health
- BBC News
Jobs could be lost in Gloucestershire amid plans for NHS mergers
Jobs could be lost amid plans for health authorities in Gloucestershire to be merged with those in neighbouring counties.A national blueprint has been published setting out changes to the function of Integrated Care Boards (ICB) which would see responsibilities go to neighbourhood providers and NHS currently has its own ICB but health bosses were told on 8 May that this could soon Hospitals NHS Trust chief executive Kevin McNamara said a significant reductions of non-clinical staff was expected. Central government wants to reduce the running costs of ICBs by around 50 per cent and cut non-clinical leadership by half, a Gloucestershire Hospitals NHS Trust board was told at a meeting last week. Mr McNamara said: "There will be human impact. We are working closely with ICB and Gloucestershire Health and Care NHS Foundation Trust colleagues to work our way through this."He said there was a vacancy freeze for non-clinical roles in the organisation unless they had a direct bearing on patient or staff safety or were business critical, reports the Local Democracy Reporting Service."It's pretty fast moving," he said. He explained that over the next few months more would be known as discussions about how ICBs should be clustered was ongoing. NHS England has published guidance showing the roles and responsibilities of health authorities and ICBs. Mr McNamara said the NHS could be more efficient and said in Gloucestershire some of the corporate back office functions were NHS Gloucestershire Integrated Care Board said in a statement that any structural changes to the ICBs would not affect the current day to day provision of health services. It said the board would continue to have a critical role as strategic commissioners working to improve health, reduce inequalities and improve healthcare access.A spokesperson added: "In order to meet our more focused strategic commissioning role and the requirement to reduce our organisational costs, the ICB footprint is likely to be larger in the future, but it will be crucial to retain strong 'place' based arrangements and partnerships at a local level."
Yahoo
21-04-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
NHS phlebotomists six weeks into strikes over pay
Healthcare workers are beginning their sixth consecutive week of strike action in a long-running dispute over pay and grading, a union says. Around 37 phlebotomists from Gloucestershire Royal and Cheltenham General hospitals are walking out from Monday until Sunday. The workers, who say there is clear evidence they are not being paid properly, are calling on Gloucestershire Hospitals Foundation Trust to regrade them. Kevin McNamara, chief executive of Gloucestershire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, said the "valuable contribution" phlebotomists make to the care of patients is recognised and appreciated. UNISON organisers said staff were angry that, despite repeated promises from senior managers to resolve the matter by the end of February, the trust has yet to hold a formal meeting to review their pay. Phlebotomist Dawnie Elliott said they deserved "to be paid correctly". "We're not being greedy," she said. "Paying us properly would cost less than a pound an hour. "That might not sound like much, but it makes the world of difference when you're not earning much more than the minimum wage." More news stories for Gloucestershire Listen to the latest news for Gloucestershire UNISON south west regional organiser Chris Roche said: "Every patient's treatment starts with a phlebotomist, they are the backbone of diagnosis. "They're highly trained, experienced staff who carry out complex work, yet they're earning barely above the minimum wage. "Hospital executives have wasted months dodging the issue and giving staff the run-around. "It's high time senior managers showed some leadership and brought this dispute to end by paying their staff fairly." The trust has said it will continue to "work closely in partnership with our local union representatives and phlebotomists on resolving this issue". Follow BBC Gloucestershire on Facebook, X and Instagram. Send your story ideas to us on email or via WhatsApp on 0800 313 4630. NHS staff begin three days of strike action NHS staff to strike over pay and grading Gloucestershire Hospitals NHS Foundations Trust
