UNISON Rally celebrates International Nurses Day 2020 across the East Midlands

Celebrations for International Nurses’ Day tomorrow (Tuesday) will have special significance this year during the coronavirus pandemic, says UNISON East Midlands which is staging an online rally with guests from across the world. Members of the public are being encouraged to join the web event tomorrow at 6pm to show their appreciation for every nurse […]

Profits Protected as Care Homes Crisis Deepens

Thursday at 8pm the nation turns out to clap in appreciation at the work our essential public sector workers who each day place the interests and safety of our most vulnerable citizens ahead of their own. You will find no more obvious example of selfless public service than that shown by workers in 1000’s of residential care homes across the UK.  Residential care homes are never a destination of choice, but they represent an important part […]

Stranded shipment of safety equipment from Turkey leaves Lincolnshire hospital staff in ‘impossible position’

Frontline health staff in Lincolnshire are facing impossible choices as they balance their own health with that of their patients after serious delays to a consignment of imported personal protective equipment (PPE). The RAF has sent planes to collect much-needed PPE which is still sitting on the tarmac at a Turkish airport but should have […]

Safe working for frontline staff across Lincolnshire must be a top priority

NHS, care and other frontline staff whose lives are on the line need immediate government action to fix inadequate personal protective equipment (PPE) supplies. Government apologies and assurances the UK has all the PPE it needs are of no comfort to staff whose workplaces are running low. Over the weekend workers from hospitals and care […]

Contracts, Commissioners and Chaos – broken public services laid bare by Coronavirus

Directors of Adult Social Services say that the supply chain for PPE has been “shambolic” and that testing for care workers hasn’t been properly thought through.   An important intervention from this influential group of local government professionals.   From the outset of the Covid-19 crisis UNISON has been demanding the appropriate PPE for all our public services workers.  While the media narrative has focused on our big […]

NHS organisations must be honest with staff over PPE stocks, says UNISON

New Public Health England guidelines have watered down the level of protection needed for front line health staff battling the Covid-19 epidemic. Staff will be told they can now use plastic aprons rather than full-length gowns, when there are shortages. UNISON head of health Sara Gorton said: “These are absolute worst case scenario measures, which staff […]