UNISON home
UNISONScotland www
This is our archive website that is no longer being updated.
For the new website please go to
www.unison-scotland.org
Join UNISON
Join UNISON
Click here
Home News About us Join Us Contacts Help Resources Learning Links UNISON UK
  Nursing
 

Caring, Learning and Worried About Money UNISON Scotland survey report June 2015 (pdf)

Caring, Learning and Worried about Money - UNISON Scotland Student Nurses Survey June 2015

Click here for pdf

 

UNISON SCOTLAND CAMPAIGNING FOR NURSES AND THE WIDER HEALTH CARE TEAM

UNISON represents over 240,000 nurses, midwives and health visitors. We are committed to campaigning on behalf of the broad family of nursing and the wider health care team.

We have the largest team of national and regional officers who are experts and representatives of nurses.

2 June 2015:
Student nurses bursaries not fit for purpose, says UNISON report 
UNISON is calling on the Scottish government to urgently increase bursary rates for student nurses and midwives in the next academic year. The recommendation is part of UNISON’s report 'Caring, Learning and Worried about Money' - the result of a survey of student nurses and midwives.

 

 

 

Nursing Conference

UNISON Scotland Nursing Conference 2014
Thursday 28 August 2014, Mercure Hotel, Ingram Street, Glasgow

 

 

 
 

NMC fees campaign 2014

Despite already increasing the registration fees for nurses and midwives in 2012 from £76 to £100 the NMC have announced that they want to further increase fees by 20% to £120 in 2015.

UNISON is opposed to the increase and is campaigning against it.

Online petition
Over 100,000 people have already signed the online petition.
You can sign the petition here:
https://submissions.epetitions.direct.gov.uk/petitions/60164

Write to your MP
UNISON branches are calling on all nurse and midwife members to write to their local MP and ask for their support in our campaign to oppose the increase.

It’s quite simple to get involved.

Over the next few months UNISON will be out and about in every workplace encouraging nurse members to sign up to our campaign.

  • We have packs of standard letters for you and your colleagues to sign at your workplace. If you are a UNISON member we will post them on to your MP for you.

  • Alternatively you can use our template letter yourself to write or email, to your MP direct at the House of Commons. Just cut and paste the text of the letter below and add your own details - or download the ready-made Word doc version at this web link.

You Can Find Your MP here...
Before you start you will want to find out who your MP is. You can use your postcode to find the name of your MP here..
http://findyourmp.parliament.uk/

(At this stage we are not targeting MSPs because the issue of NMC Registration and Fees is still reserved to the UK Government)


NMC Fees Campaign template letter text


<<insert your name>> 
<<Address>> 
<<Postcode>> 
 
<<Your MP's name >>
House of Commons,
London SW1A 0AA 
 
<<insert date>>
 
 
Dear MP

NMC fee increases  

I am seeking your support as a local constituent and one of 670,000 nurses and midwives working in the UK in our fight to scrap further NMC fee increases.
 
The Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) is the independent regulator for nurses and midwives on the UK. It is illegal to work as a nurse or midwife without being on the NMC register. In order to be on the register, all nurses and midwives must pay an annual registration fee. The NMC maintains this register in order to 'protect the public'.
 
The NMC has again proposed an increase in registrations fees, this latest increase will see fees rise from £100 to £120 per annum, a 20% hike. The last increase was in 2012 following a consultation in which nurse and midwives were overwhelmingly against the rise from £76 to £100, a 32% rise, a total increase of 52% in two years. At this time the NMC was bailed out to the tune of £20million by the Government only two years later they state that without a fee increase the NMC will end the financial year with a £7.3 million deficit. This report was tabled at the January council meeting of the NMC. Over 670,000 nurses and midwives pay the annual fee currently totally £67 million. 77% of registrants fees are spent on 'fitness to practice'.
 
Christina McAnea, UNISON Head of Health has said that
“it beggars belief that the NMC should even consider asking nursing staff to pay such a massive increase in fees.  The family budgets of many nurses and midwives are under severe pressure and one more bill to pay can all too easily tip them over the edge, especially as it comes on the back of the recent pay announcement. Public protection is everyone's business and the full financial burden shouldn't fall to registrants alone.”
 
I write today to ask for your help and support, to ask questions of the NMC and their financial mismanagement.
 
Kind regards 

<<signed>>


or download the ready-made Word doc version at this web link

top

 

 
 

Previous news and events - see also UNISON Scotland Submissions and Responses on Health issues

Monday 7 October 2013 - UNISON Nursing Conference
Conference speakers

Alex Neil, Cabinet Secretary for Health & Wellbeing

Thursday 27 September 2012 - UNISON Nursing Conference
Conference speakers:

Alex Neil, Cabinet Secretary for Health & Wellbeing
Ros Moore, Chief Nurse for Scotland
Gail Adams, Head of Nursing for UNISON
Debbie Donald, Programme Director, Pan Scotland Workforce Planning
Gordon McKay, Chair of the Nursing Sector and NEC Member

21 May 2012: Nurses and midwives should not be held to ransom says UNISON as unions condemn 60% registration fee hike

30 September 2011 - UNISON Scotland Nursing Conference
Speakers:

Nicola Sturgeon, Cabinet Secretary for Health & Wellbeing Keynote Speaker
Ros Moore, Chief Nurse for Scotland ‘Maintaining and delivering safe nursing care on a reduced budget’
Gail Adams, Head of Nursing for UNISON ‘Protecting standards and you’
Glyn Jenkins, UNISON Head of Pensions Pensions debate
Gordon McKay, Chair of the Nursing Sector and NEC Member
Click here for details and how to register

2 Nov 2010 - UNISON Scotland Nursing Conference
Chair: Bridget Hunter
UNISON Scotland's Lead Officer for Nurses
Keynote Speaker: Jackie Baillie Shadow Cabinet Secretary for Health
Click here for full report including speakers' presentations for download

1 April 2010 : UNISON Notice of unsafe/unacceptable conditions for practice forms

26 June 2009: UNISON welcomes government acceptance of union concerns on community nursing

March 2009: Review of Nursing in the Community (RONIC)
UNISON Scotland's concerns

Bridget Hunter, UNISON Scotland's Lead Officer for Nurses and Midwives identifies concerns over the new role of community health nurse replacing the time-honoured traditional roles of district nurse, health visitor, school nurse, public health nurse and family health nurse.

More on Nursing

top

 
 

Have you ever considered getting actively involved in UNISON?

Maybe you have or maybe you haven't. Either way here are ten good reasons to consider getting involved:

1) KNOW WHAT'S GOING ON You'll get to know more about what's going on at college and in your practice areas.

2) GO FURTHER It will help you develop by providing new opportunities for education, training and personal development.

3) BECOME A REPRESENTATIVE You'll be contributing something, no matter how little you do. You could be a college contact - making sure members receive information, acting as a link, between members and the union.

4) PROVIDE A LINK You will participate in the democratic structures of the union - lots of opportunities for all kinds of people. As well as local branches, there are regional and national levels to the union that need people like you to get involved. There are also groups for members, to allow them equal access to and an equal voice in the union - for women, black members, lesbian and gay members, retired and young members.

5) MAKE IT HAPPEN You'll help ensure that UNISON is the kind of union you want it to be. It's only as good as you make it.

6) SPEAK IN UNISON You'll be part of the biggest union in the country - contributing towards our influential voice on a huge range of issues. Ensure that your members are heard!

7) WORK AS A TEAM You can get together with friends and colleagues and meet new people.

8) AND IF THAT'S NOT ENOUGH If you become a UNISON steward, we'll send you on a training course, give you advice and support.

9) MORE OF A SAY You can have more of a say on what UNISON does in your college and practice areas - bring up issues that you really know are of importance to you and your colleagues. Whatever the issue, the only way you can change it, is to bring it up in the first place.

10) GET TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE You get to make a difference in your college, at home, in your life, and in the world at large.

YOU CAN DO AS LITTLE AS PUTTING UP A POSTER AT YOUR UNIVERSITY OR AS MUCH AS BECOMING A UNISON REPRESENTATIVE.

UNISON is currently looking for Nursing and Midwifery students who would like to become more involved. Let us know if you are who we are looking for.

Email student.nurses@unison.co.uk stating your name, your region, and what you are interested in doing (e.g. putting up a poster, attending a meeting, becoming a rep) or if you would just like further information.

top

 
  Page updated: 2 June 2015