When you think of NHS staff, who do you see?
Probably doctors, nurses and paramedics. But almost half the staff in the NHS – around 470,000 people – are in clinical support or infrastructure support roles: these include porters, medical secretaries, telephonists, cleaners, caretakers, and laundry staff. These are the people, often unseen by patients, who play a vital role in keeping the NHS running, making sure patients and their families get the best treatment possible.
UNISON is the UK’s largest trade union, representing people who work in public services, including the NHS, and associated health and social care organisations.
UNISON organises One Team Week each year as part of its One Team campaign to celebrate all support workers who work tirelessly in the NHS, often without the recognition they deserve.
One Team Week this year is between November 5 and 9, and to celebrate it, UNISON workplace representatives will be out and about raising awareness of the hidden heroes of the National Health Service, and thanking them for the work they do.
So if you work as a support worker at Derriford or a community hospital or clinic, do look out for UNISON representatives and have a cake on them! If you find yourself as a patient, please remember the staff who work behind the scenes and perhaps give them a word of thanks as well.
There’s a serious side to the UNISON campaign as well. Support staff have been on the receiving end of cost-saving drives in the NHS, including job cuts, restructurings, zero hours contracts, downbanding and outsourcing.
• UNISON is promoting the message that all staff, no matter what they do, play an important part in caring for patients.
• The union is campaigning to remove the false divide when politicians talk about ‘frontline’ and ‘back office’ NHS staff.
• UNISON are promoting the value of NHS support staff by campaigning against cuts or threats to jobs or conditions.
ONE TEAM WEEK PROFILE
Sharroll Rickard is a team secretary for a community mental health team in Plymouth based at Mount Gould Hospital.
She works for Livewell Southwest, who provide community health services on behalf of the NHS. She supports the team of mental health nurses who work with adults who need support with issues ranging from eating disorders through to psychosis. Sharroll has been working in the mental health field since 1995. She is also elected as a workplace representative for UNISON.
Sharroll says of her role:
“I’m like a mum! I make sure the team of nurses are all safe. When the nurses are out on visits they have a safety alarm, and any alerts are relayed from the control centre through to me.
“I also send out appointment letters, run reports, and take telephone calls. Sometimes the calls can be of a stressful nature, and I have to direct any communications to the right people to make sure appointments happen. It is vital that people get the support they need in the community to prevent admission to hospital.
“The best thing about the job is getting patients the help they need. The NHS really does look after its patients, and I believe we have one of the best medical services in the world”.
To find out more about One Team Week and UNISON’s campaigning work visit unison.org.uk/oneteam. The local Plymouth UNISON branch can be contacted on 01752 692260.
