Teesside NHS healthcare assistants walk out in pay dispute

About 1,000 staff across seven sites at the North Tees and Hartlepool, and South Tees NHS hospital trusts started a day-long walkout at 7am after 96 per cent of staff backed strike action.

They are campaigning to be paid on a higher wage band which they say more accurately reflects the work they do.

Staff outside the hospitals, including at the Northallerton Friarage formed pickets and waved banners calling for fair pay.

They also walked out at University Hospital of North Tees, University Hospital of Hartlepool, James Cook University Hospital, Redcar Primary Care Hospital, East Cleveland Primary Care Hospital and The Richmond Friary Community Hospital.

Staff began a 24-hour walkout at 7am. (Image: SARAH CALDECOTT)

Union Unison says the trusts accept the workers should be on a higher rate but say the offer on the table must be improved particularly on back-paying staff.

It’s understood backpay has been offered to July 2021, but according to reports Unison previously called for backpay dating to July 2019.

According to NHS guidance, healthcare assistants on salary band 2 should only be providing personal care, such as bathing and feeding patients. But Unison says most healthcare assistants have routinely undertaken clinical tasks that would normally be done by those on band 3, such as taking blood, performing electrocardiogram tests and inserting cannulas.

Penny, a healthcare assistant at University Hospital Hartlepool, said: “It’s time for the trusts in Teesside to play fair and pay fair.

“For years, healthcare assistants have been doing extra tasks to support patients. All we’re asking is to be paid fairly for the work we’ve done.

“The current offer is simply not good enough.”

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Unison Northern regional secretary Clare Williams said: “Healthcare assistants provide outstanding care to people across Teesside and deserve to be fairly paid for the work they’ve done.

“Other hospitals around the country have avoided strike action by resolving pay issues through negotiation. It’s time these trusts followed suit.”

A spokesperson for both trusts previously told the BBC they had committed to back-pay dating to July 2021, adding “We recognise and appreciate the huge contribution healthcare assistants make to our patients.”