Latest News from the Ambulance Sector: July 2024 Update
Welcome from UNISON Health - Ambulance Occupational Group
Hello to all our members working in the ambulance sector! A lot has happened since we last updated you in March, so in this edition, we’re going to update you on:
• The NQP 2024 survey
• An update on the Section 2 and Annex 5 deal for same band movement
• The 2024 UNISON Ambulance Seminar
• Diversifying our network of stewards
If you have any questions, please get in touch at h.group@unison.co.uk or ambulance@unison.co.uk.
Complete the UNISON Newly Qualified Paramedic (NQP) 2024 Survey
If you’re a Newly Qualified Paramedic or have completed the NQP programme within the last five years, we want you to complete our ‘NQP survey 2024’ by clicking on this link
The survey should only take 5 minutes to complete and will be used to find out more about your experiences as an NQP and the issues you face at work. We will use the findings in our discussions with your employers to ensure the programme is being used as intended and identify areas for improvement.
The survey will close on 31 August. The more responses we get, the stronger our voice is when raising concerns on your behalf.
Please note, this survey is also open to non-members too, so feel free to forward the link to non-member colleagues and encourage them to join UNISON!
Ambulance Reps Come Together for 2024 Ambulance Seminar
From the 17th to the 19th of May, UNISON ambulance branches from across the UK attended our UNISON Health Ambulance Seminar 2024 at the University of Warwick.
Representatives took part in a series of engaging sessions to help shape the future work priorities of the Ambulance Occupational Group (AOG). These sessions focused on future policies impacting the NHS and the ambulance sector, race equality specific to the ambulance sector, sexual safety in the workplace, pensions and retirement age for ambulance staff, and lessons learnt from the ambulance industrial action in 2022/23.
All these sessions helped us shape the AOG workplan for the next year, which includes three main priorities:
1. Retirement age and pensions campaign
2. Addressing and improving race equality/representation in the ambulance sector
3. Improving the NQP programme
We will continue to update you on any progress we make on these priority areas, as well as other relevant campaigns that will be of interest to you as a member working in the ambulance sector.
Diversifying Our Network of Ambulance Stewards
This summer, we have released an article jointly with the Association of Ambulance Chief Executives (AACE) in their Keeping P’AACE publication summer issue on ‘UNISON: RECOGNISING THE NEED TO DIVERSIFY’. You can read the article here.
We published this piece with the aim of raising awareness on how, why, and what the significance is for UNISON to champion the work of diversifying our ambulance stewards. This particularly aligns with our key priorities for the next year to focus on addressing the inequalities highlighted in the Race for Equality campaign in relation to the ambulance sector.
As well as black reps, we are also keen to recruit more women, disabled, and LGBT+ reps. If you’re interested in learning more about what these roles might entail, please contact your local UNISON branch or ambulance@unison.co.uk.
Remember, you are legally entitled to time off for your reps training and AACE is keen to support UNISON in diversifying our network of reps to better represent the ambulance workforce.
Ambulance Case Studies for Flexibilities in the NHS Pension Scheme
We want to progress our work on pensions and the retirement age by exploring different options of flexibilities within the NHS pension scheme including redeployment, stepping down, and applying for partial retirement.
We’re looking to build case studies exploring these options as we move to agree on our position as part of this campaign and ways to work with employers.
Would you, or do you know of any ambulance members who might be willing to work with us on developing a case study?
If you’re interested, please contact us by 15 August 2024!
Email us your case studies
Hello to all our members working in the ambulance sector! A lot has happened since we last updated you in March, so in this edition, we’re going to update you on:
• The NQP 2024 survey
• An update on the Section 2 and Annex 5 deal for same band movement
• The 2024 UNISON Ambulance Seminar
• Diversifying our network of stewards
If you have any questions, please get in touch at h.group@unison.co.uk or ambulance@unison.co.uk.
Complete the UNISON Newly Qualified Paramedic (NQP) 2024 Survey
If you’re a Newly Qualified Paramedic or have completed the NQP programme within the last five years, we want you to complete our ‘NQP survey 2024’ by clicking on this link
The survey should only take 5 minutes to complete and will be used to find out more about your experiences as an NQP and the issues you face at work. We will use the findings in our discussions with your employers to ensure the programme is being used as intended and identify areas for improvement.
The survey will close on 31 August. The more responses we get, the stronger our voice is when raising concerns on your behalf.
Please note, this survey is also open to non-members too, so feel free to forward the link to non-member colleagues and encourage them to join UNISON!
Ambulance Reps Come Together for 2024 Ambulance Seminar
From the 17th to the 19th of May, UNISON ambulance branches from across the UK attended our UNISON Health Ambulance Seminar 2024 at the University of Warwick.
Representatives took part in a series of engaging sessions to help shape the future work priorities of the Ambulance Occupational Group (AOG). These sessions focused on future policies impacting the NHS and the ambulance sector, race equality specific to the ambulance sector, sexual safety in the workplace, pensions and retirement age for ambulance staff, and lessons learnt from the ambulance industrial action in 2022/23.
All these sessions helped us shape the AOG workplan for the next year, which includes three main priorities:
1. Retirement age and pensions campaign
2. Addressing and improving race equality/representation in the ambulance sector
3. Improving the NQP programme
We will continue to update you on any progress we make on these priority areas, as well as other relevant campaigns that will be of interest to you as a member working in the ambulance sector.
Diversifying Our Network of Ambulance Stewards
This summer, we have released an article jointly with the Association of Ambulance Chief Executives (AACE) in their Keeping P’AACE publication summer issue on ‘UNISON: RECOGNISING THE NEED TO DIVERSIFY’. You can read the article here.
We published this piece with the aim of raising awareness on how, why, and what the significance is for UNISON to champion the work of diversifying our ambulance stewards. This particularly aligns with our key priorities for the next year to focus on addressing the inequalities highlighted in the Race for Equality campaign in relation to the ambulance sector.
As well as black reps, we are also keen to recruit more women, disabled, and LGBT+ reps. If you’re interested in learning more about what these roles might entail, please contact your local UNISON branch or ambulance@unison.co.uk.
Remember, you are legally entitled to time off for your reps training and AACE is keen to support UNISON in diversifying our network of reps to better represent the ambulance workforce.
Ambulance Case Studies for Flexibilities in the NHS Pension Scheme
We want to progress our work on pensions and the retirement age by exploring different options of flexibilities within the NHS pension scheme including redeployment, stepping down, and applying for partial retirement.
We’re looking to build case studies exploring these options as we move to agree on our position as part of this campaign and ways to work with employers.
Would you, or do you know of any ambulance members who might be willing to work with us on developing a case study?
If you’re interested, please contact us by 15 August 2024!
Email us your case studies