Welcome to Unison Blackpool Health.

The Blackpool Health branch of Unison (full title: Blackpool, Wyre & Fylde Health) was formed in 1993 as a result of the national merger between NHS partner unions Nupe (National Union of public Employees), Nalgo (National & Local Government Officers) and Cohse (Confederation of Health Service Employees).

We represent staff employed in a Health Care setting ranging from the Blackpool, Fylde & Wyre Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, NHS Blackpool, North Lancashire Primary Care Trust, GP Practices, private contractors in the NHS to the Nursing and Care Home sectors.

The branch has almost 2,000 members employed across the above sectors and is growing weekly as healthcare staff choose to join the UK’s biggest public service Trade Union. We offer a range of services and benefits to members, from workplace and legal representation to a range of financial services which are all free at the point of use to Unison members.

The Unison Blackpool Health branch headquarters are situated in the Old Staff Club, Blackpool Victoria Hospital on Whinney Heys Road, which is operated by Branch Secretary, Steve Holmes and Branch Administrator, Carolyn Mullineaux. Further support is provided by Regional Officer, Jim Moodie. In addition to the above Unison personnel, members are able to call upon the services of the following branch officers; Kevin Smith, Treasurer, Bob Coulthurst, Chairperson, Marilyn Baines, Equalities Officer, Jane Eyre, Membership Officer and a number of other key branch officers.

The branch has a proud tradition of representing members in formal workplace situations eg disciplinary, sickness absence and grievance hearings. We also have a number of branch officers and representatives who are highly trained in matters relating to Health & Safety at work and who are active in developing the Trusts’ Safety and Risk Management strategies. Furthermore, the various Trusts’ joint negotiating and policy making bodies, JNCCs, involve Unison Officers and representatives at the heart of policy and decision making.

In addition to basic workplace representation the Union offers, where appropriate, free legal representation in settings such as the Employment Tribunals and Civil Courts, in matters relating to eg unfair dismissal claims, personal injury claims etc. and are headed up by Unison’s legal representatives, Thompsons, the UK’s biggest Trade Union only law firm. Where a member’s case is approved and taken on by Thompsons, no fee is payable provided the member inquestion remains a fully paid up member of the branch. In recent years Unison with Thompsons have won in excess of seven figures on behalf of our members via the various courts. This is one of the reasons why more health care staff are joining Unison.

Besides individual member representation, Unison is at the forefront, nationally, in terms of negotiations with NHS Employers and the Dept. of Health itself. Our union holds the majority of seats on the Staff Council and leads annual pay negotiations with the employers. We are the only Trade Union who believes that every individual member should be balloted on the acceptance or otherwise of pay offers. Therefore, Unison members ultimately decide on the acceptance or rejection of pay deals at the highest level. When members decide to reject pay offers and resort to industrial action, such as with the present situation faced by Local Government staff, Unison backs those members to the hilt in furtherance of their dispute.

A further benefit to Unison membership is the range of Lifelong Learning opportunities which have been brokered by the Branch. For further details on this very popular subject, visit our page on Learning headed by Kevin Smith who, in addition to being our branch Treasurer, is employed by the Vic Trust as Lifelong Learning Co-ordinator and who has won a number of local, regional and indeed national awards for his work in this field.

Finally, if you’re employed in a healthcare environment and not yet a Unison member please think of all the benefits of being one of the Unison team and join today.

You may also wish to take a moment to visit the main Unison website, http://www.unison.org.uk