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Summer Newsletter UNISON Aneurin Bevan Health Branch
The
UNISON TIMES
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Aneurin Bevan Health Branch
SUMMER 2018 EDITION
Marking 70 years of the NHS and 25 years of UNISON
Aneurin Bevan Health UNISON Branch Newsletter
Organising News Branch Officers 2
The Grange University Hospital 3
Porthcawl Summer Trip 5
Retired Members Group 670th Anniversary of the NHS 8
Competition Winners Pay News 11
Weekly to Monthly Pay 12
Become a Representative
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UNISON Application Form
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Dewis doeth
Choose well
On 5th July 1948 the NHS was formed and the architect was Tredegar-born Aneurin Bevan. More coverage inside.
Pay Deal
Welsh Government agree to new pay offer: UNISON members to vote on the deal. See page 11.
Aneurin Bevan Health Branch
Organisingteam visits
Our organising team try to visit as many of our UNISON members in their workplaces if possible and we want to come to see you in our future visits.
If you would like us to come to your workplace please contact the UNISON office on 01633 431766 and we will book your workplace in. We will bring over some goodies and news of what is happening within UNISON.
Officers of the Branch
Branch Secretary – Martin Horton Branch Chair – Terry Thurgar Branch Vice Chair – Stefan Senese Branch Treasurer – Tracey Marwick Womens Officer – Julie Coulson Communications Officer – Julian Price Welfare Officer – Gillian Gibbons Education Co-ordinator – Andrea Prince Labour Link Officer – Helen Erasmus Retired Members Officer – Adele Battaglia Young Members Officer (shared) – Katie Coulson Young Members Officer (shared) – Joe Davies Kay Davies – International Officer Jim Drewett – Health & Safety Officer
LV= is UNISON’s approved car insurance provider and UNISON members have been enjoying exclusive discounts on LV= Car and Breakdown insurance for many years.
We’re excited to now offer UNISON members our new Multi Car policy that gives UNISON members discounts on every car. With this new multi car policy UNISON members can:
� Add up to 6 cars and 12 drivers on one policy� Add all cars at the same time, schedule some for later or add them in afterwards� Choose the cover level and specific optional extras you’d like for each car� All cars will share the same renewal date
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Newsletter – Summer 2018
The Grange University Hospital
Specialist Critical Care Centre
the Grange Project team, have worked hard to ensure the site design is fit for purpose and will best serve the needs of its patients in the future.
One of the most visual signs of progress within the Clinical Futures Programme is the building of the 470 bed Grange University Hospital, which will be an advanced specialist and critical care centre on Llanfrechfa site near Cwmbran.
The services that are critical in nature will move from the Royal Gwent Hospital and Nevill Hall Hospital and into the Grange, e.g. Emergency Department, Intensive Care, Cardiology and a Hyper Acute Stroke Unit. Services such as paediatric inpatients, high risk births will also move there. There will be no outpatient clinics at the Grange.
The very latest technology will be used in the hospital and the high geographical location with lovely rural views over Twmbarlwm Mountain will greatly enhance patient recovery.
By separating critical treatment from more planned routine care we can ensure that highly
specialised staff are available at The Grange Hospital 24/7 for patients that have a life threatening condition. This will also enable us to develop all our existing local general hospitals to carry out more non-critical care over the coming years.
The funding for the hospital was approved by Welsh Government in October 2016 and work started on site during July 2017. Since that time much of the essential groundworks have been completed and four of the six tower cranes have been erected. Working closely with the contractor, Laing O’Rourke,
Much of the building construction is modular and takes place off site, this means that the construction process is very fast. As work has begun there has been an increase in construction workers on site and there is a real buzz of activity – despite the poor weather that was experienced this year!
At the Grange University Hospital there could be as many as 600 members of staff on site at any one time – there will be around 600 car park spaces for staff and 300 for visitors. There is a dedicated staff changing area with lockers on Level 0 and smaller lockers for mobile phones and personal items on individual ward areas.
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Aneurin Bevan Health Branch
Know Your Rep: Clare Conway
I am a British Association Occupational Therapist Union Representative, affiliated to UNISON. I support members with a variety of issues, and represent Occupational Therapy on the Trade Union Partnership Forum (TUPF).
The TUPF is a monthly meeting with the chief executives, which provides the opportunity for Union reps to bring the concerns from the ‘shop floor’ to management, and also allows for negotiation between employees and management prior to changes to working terms and conditions within the trust.
I am currently seconded to work as team lead in Occupational Therapy within the Community Resource Team in Torfaen, the role straddles both hospital and community.
The team remit is to provide timely and appropriate intervention to residents
within the Borough of Torfaen, to maximise their potential to remain independent, through rehabilitation programmes, care packages, minimising hospital stay and preventing hospital admission.
Within a multi-disciplinary team of Physiotherapists, Reablement Technicians, Emergency Care at Home team, Rapid Response Nurses, ward based staff, and Social Services, we are part of a huge network, aiming to provide the best service at the optimum time, in the right environment.
With the recent introduction of the Social Care and Wellbeing act, the way we provide care and
intervention is changing, with ABUHB leading the way with the ‘Care Closer to home’ initiative.
The new hospital at Llanfrechfa will provide complex and critical care, for the sickest patients, and I anticipate the future role of the therapist to be primarily in the community, which is where most patients achieve their best outcomes!
In line with this directive, our team are in the process of integrating with Social Services, aiming to ensure the residents of Torfaen get the best placed intervention, delivered by the best placed Occupational Therapist.
Clare Conway
Dewis doeth
Choose well
Contact NHS Direct Wales 0845 46 47 www.nhsdirect.wales.nhs.uk
@ChooseWellWales Download the Choose well app
The ABUHB Choose Well campaign is supported by UNISON, ABUHB, WAST, Monmouthshire County Council, Newport City Council, the Welsh Government, the Deputy Health Minister, the Health Minister, the Chief Executive of NHS Wales and the ABUHB TUPF.
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Newsletter – Summer 2018
Awesome Branch trip to Porthcawl
(Watch out for the Christmas trip!)
On Saturday 30th July UNISON Aneurin Bevan Health Branch and over 100 of its members attended our Summer getaway to Porthcawl.
The sun shone bright all day and with buckets and spades in hand our members had a wonderful day on the beach.
Our members went free and were joined by their friends and family for only £5 each.
Look out for our next shopping trip for Christmas 2018.
All trips are open to all ABHB UNISON members.
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Aneurin Bevan Health Branch
Message from Retired Members Secretary
My name is Adele Battaglia, although some of you may know me as Adele Hood.
I’ve been a member of UNISON my entire career, although in my early career the union was known as COHSE, and I’m sure many of you will remember being members of COHSE too.
Last year I embraced some major life changes, I got married, and I retired from the Health Board following a career of 33 years in the NHS.
During my career I worked as a Health Care Support Worker (I was known in
those days as a Nursing Auxiliary), Registered Nurse, Midwife, Teacher and Education and Development Manager.
During this time I had the opportunity to work with fabulous staff in all departments and many different careers in the NHS.
Did you know that once you retire from the NHS you can continue with lifelong membership of UNISON and all the benefits the union has to offer?
If this is something you are interested in please contact the branch office for more details of how to do this. It’s easy to do.
As the branch’s Retired Members Secretary I would like to keep in touch with UNISON retired members and I would like to organise some social meetings,
maybe meet up for a chat and a coffee. I would welcome any ideas.
If you are approaching retirement or know someone who is retired or about to please contact the UNISON office and let them know if you are willing to share your contact details, so I can keep in touch.
It would be good, in future newsletters, to read about life after retirement and what people are up to.
Again, if you would like to share any stories, or memories from your time in the NHS please contact the UNISON office and let them know how I can get in touch with you.
If you want to stay in UNISON after your retirement it only costs £15 one off payment, you can download a form from www.unison.org.uk/content/ uploads/2018/03/24854.pdf
I look forward to keeping in touch.
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Newsletter – Summer 2018
Want us to visit your workplace?
Over the past 12 months we have visited the wards and communicated with many health board staff and UNISON members.
We will be visiting a lot of workplaces over the rest of this year and if you would like us to come and see your workplace then please get in touch.
You can even drop us a message via our new app.
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Aneurin Bevan Health Branch
1948: The NHS is born
“
Everybody, irrespective of means, age, sex or occupation shall have equal opportunity to benefit from the best and most upto-date medical and allied services available.
“
The National Health Service Act created the NHS in England & Wales.
Aneurin Bevan ‘opened’ the NHS at Park Hospital, Davyhulme on 5 July 1948. Northern Ireland and Scotland established their own NHS.
For the first time, hospitals, doctors, nurses, pharmacists, opticians, dentists, community nursing and health visitors were brought together to provide free services.
Almost all of the 19,000 GPs were men.
A third of the 8 million patients treated a year by dentists needed dentures.
Cradle to Grave
Photos: Trafford Healthcare
When the NHS began, so did a national social security benefits system protecting people from ‘cradle to grave’. Working people paid a contribution from their earnings and benefits would be paid to support the unemployed, the sick, the retired and the widowed.
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Newsletter – Summer 2018
Aneira Thomas was named by her mother, for the architect of the NHS
Aneira Thomas, the NHS’s first baby Photo: Aneira Thomas
The last 70 years
“
It was coming up to midnight and my mother, who had been in labour for 18 hours, was just about ready to give birth to me.
She wanted to push. But the doctors and midwives looked up at the clock on the wall and said, “Stop. Hold on, Edna, hold on.”
They knew they were moments away from the start of the National Health Service and wanted me to be the first baby born into this new service.
So my mother took a deep breath and held on. That’s how I was born at one minute past midnight on Monday 5 July 1948 – the first NHS baby.
“
Over the last 70 years, the NHS has transformed the health and wellbeing of the nation and become the envy of the world.
The NHS has delivered huge medical advances and improvements to public health, meaning we can all expect to live longer lives.
It is thanks to the NHS that we have all but eradicated diseases such as polio and diphtheria, and pioneered new treatments like the world’s first liver, heart and lung transplant.
In more recent times, we have seen innovations like mechanical thrombectomy to improve stroke survival, bionic eyes to restore sight, and surgical breakthroughs such as hand transplants.
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Aneurin Bevan Health Branch
Highly rated insurance from LV=
As a member of UNISON, you’re entitled to exclusive discounts and savings on a range of LV= insurance products through your union membership.
5 Star rated cover – awarded by Defaqto, the independent financial researcher, for the 12th year in a row for being one of the best quality car insurance product on the market. With our comprehensive cover we offer features and benefits including accidental damage and personal accident cover.
We also can provide breakdown cover, supplied by Britannica Rescue, that boasts an average response time of 45 minutes with 4 out of 5 vehicles fixed at the roadside.
LV= also offer a wide range of additional insurance cover options which you can enjoy discounted rates on, including caravan insurance, and motorcycle insurance, so you can make sure that whatever your pride and joy is, you can be protected should anything happen.
One of the great things about having insurance through LV= is that our claims service is open 24/7 for whenever you need us. So if you would like to find out more, contact us to discuss an existing policy or arrange cover for any of our insurance products.
www.lv.com/unison/contact-us
LIVERPOOL VICTORIA
If you or a member of your family need to make a claim now or in the future you should contact UNISON today on 01633 431766, or call Thompsons on 0808 100 8050.
† Union rules, conditions and exclusions apply - please contact your union for further information. ††Accidents outside of the UK are covered where cases can be pursued in the UK courts.
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Newsletter – Summer 2018
Competition Winners
In 2018 UNISON celebrate its Silver Jubilee year and your branch are looking to make 2018 the best year in the branch’s history.
Regular readers will know that if you update your details even if you have nothing to change, you will be entered into our monthly draw. In 2018 we will be giving away £25 gift vouchers every month.
Pictured is Deb Warren from RGH who won a £25 Gift voucher in May 2018. Our winner in June 2018 was Lisa Byetheway.
Deb Warren
Fill in the form on page 14 to get your entries in and you could be the next winner of a £25 gift voucher.
Pay offer put forward for members to ballot on
The Welsh Government pay offer includes:
Going beyond our commitment to the Living Wage Foundation recommendations, with a new rate of £17,460 introduced from 1 April 2018 as the minimum basic pay rate in the NHS and the lowest starting NHS salary increases to £18,005 in 20/21.
Investing in higher starting salaries for staff
in every pay band by reforming the pay system to remove overlapping pay points.
Guaranteeing fair basic pay awards for the next three years to the staff who are at the top of pay bands;
Guaranteeing fair basic pay awards and faster progression pay for the next three years to those staff who are not yet on the top of their pay band.
The majority of NHS staff will receive a 6.5 per cent increase over three years.
There will also be restructuring of existing pay bands with a reduction in the number of pay points.
We will now be engaging with our members to see what they think.
It is vital that as many members as possible take part in the talks on the proposed deal.
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Aneurin Bevan Health Branch
Weekly to Monthly Pay Changes
UNISON has been working with the health board for the past 12 months to minimise the impact on staff when transferring from weekly to monthly pay.
One to one meetings have been set up for all staff involved.
All weekly paid staff will receive letters from Human Resources giving more details and dates of one to
one sessions with staff, HR and unions.
If you need support from UNISON please get in touch with us via the contact details below.
Terms and Conditions Update
Here’s a payment update for enhancements during sickness absence from 1 January 2018.
Following the expiry of the three year Terms and Conditions agreement on 31st December 2017, the Welsh Partnership Forum Strategic Pay Sub Group agreed enhancements will
be included, as part of sick pay, for any sickness absence taken from, or ongoing, on 1 January 2018.
The exercise to calculate payments due from 1 January 2018 is currently being undertaken.
All eligible staff will be
included in the exercise. The first payment, which will cover the period 1 January 2018 – 30 April 2018 will be included in July 2018 monthly salaries and the weekly pay nearest the July monthly pay date.
Payments will then be paid on an ongoing monthly basis.
How to contact the branch
Phone:
01633 431766 or 01633 431767
Email:
UNISON.office@wales.nhs.uk
Facebook:
ABHUnison
Twitter:
UnisonABH
Address:
UNISON Office, St Cadoc’s Hospital,
Lodge Road, Caerleon. NP18 3XQ
Aneurin Bevan Health Branch
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Newsletter – Summer 2018
Become a Workplace Representative
Representatives are the backbone of UNISON. UNISON Aneurin Bevan Health Branch is always looking for new activists and members who will help build the union.
The uniqueness of our branch in that we cover the whole of Gwent and parts of Powys means that we are seeking more representatives to assist in areas where we currently have no cover.
As a workplace representative you can:
Talk to, recruit and organise members around workplace issues.
Talk to members about workplace problems,
advise them and keep them informed of latest developments.
Represent members in your workplace.
Be involved in how your branch and union is run.
So have a look around you, in your workplace – which of your colleagues and fellow union members would you want fighting your corner? Or perhaps you, yourself, feel you could stand up for your workmates, should the need arise.
We also need workplace contacts who provide the link between branch and members, spreading information and helping to build UNISON in workplaces.
Being a workplace representative is sometimes hard and challenging, but always rewarding.
You would receive training and support from the Branch Office and no previous experience is necessary. You would also be entitled to paid time off from work to attend training courses and meetings and to fulfil your union duties.
Please consider contacting us for more information – you would only need to be nominated by two colleagues who are members of the union to be able to get started.
Contact us on 01633 431766 or unison.office@wales.nhs.uk
New UNISON Reps
The branch recently held a training day for UNISON members who wished to be trained to represent our members in the workplace. They will soon be helping guide our members back in their workplaces.
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Aneurin Bevan Health Branch
UNISON’s Croyde Bay Resort
4 Star Hotel and Self Catering Cottages Trip Advisor Certificate of Excellence Winner Swimming Pool • Gym • Sauna • Jacuzzi • Steam Room
01271 890 890 www.croydeunison.co.uk
WIN!
UPDATE YOUR DETAILS TO BE IN WITH A CHANCE OF WINNING A £25 GIFT VOUCHER
NAMEMEMBERSHIP NUMBER
ADDRESSPOSTCODEEMAILWORKPLACENI NUMBER
Please tick here if you are happy to be contacted by UNISON by email
If you require a UNISON Diary for 2019 – please tick box Yes
PLEASE RETURN TO: UNISON OFFICE, ST. CADOC’S HOSPITAL, CAERLEON. NP18 3XQ
UNISON will use this data to update your details on our database. This form will be kept for 1 year and will then be destroyed.
No
Aneurin Bevan Health Branch
Lisa Byetheway was a recent winner of a £25 gift voucher, Please fill in this form so that you are in the next draw.
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Newsletter – Summer 2018
NHS 70th Birthday Party
On July 7th 2018 we celebrated 70 years of the NHS with our UNISON members at St Cadocs restaurant. We were proud to be joined by UNISON Assistant General Secretary Roger McKenzie and Newport West AM Jayne Bryant.
Pictured here are some of our retired members along with our Retired Members Officer Adele Battaglia.
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