About health care in UNISON

We represent nursing, ancillary, professional, technical, managerial, administrative, clerical and ambulance staff at all levels. UNISON also holds the majority of officership positions on national negotiating bodies and is the leading union of local level in the NHS.

UNISON works:

1. to organise all those employed in the health service and to promote the advancement and spreading of knowledge among members within the Group
2. to achieve equal access to the health service for all and to promote the maintenance and improvement of standards and competence among all health sector workers
3. to provide and maintain educational facilities to support the maintenance and improvement of professional standards and competence and to encourage members to participate in them
4. to improve standards of conduct and levels of competence among health care workers by promoting greater employee, consumer and user involvement and representation in the delivery of health care
5. with all other interested parties, individuals and organisations to maintain and improve the quality of health care services to the public
6. to ensure that health care continues to be provided in a manner consistent with the founding principles of the NHS, free at the point of delivery and without recourse to the introduction of market mechanisms or the involvement of the private sector
7. to provide indemnification and protection of members against claims of professional malpractice, whist ensuring that employers continue to remain vicariously liable for the actions of their staff
8. to negotiate pay and conditions of service on behalf of its members
9. to promote professional and occupational standards
10. in partnership with the Employer and other bodies including Education establishments to create and develop opportunities for life long learning and the knowledge and skills framework

How we organise

In UNISON you are always a member of a branch that brings you together with other employees who do similar kinds of work or face common issues in their workplaces. Members elect workplace stewards and safety reps and vote for branch officers. Every branch is supported by its nearest UNISON regional centre where staff work with elected lay members.

Each UNISON branch elects its own reps to attend the UNISON national delegate conference and vote on behalf of all local branch members.

People like you are also elected through an annual individual ballot to UNISON's Health group. This body helps decide policies and activities and works with UNISON staff to support members.

Sector committees

There are sector committees representing the various groupings in the Health Group: Administrative and clerical Ambulance services Ancillary and maintenance Nursing and midwifery Professional and technical "B" Professions allied to medicine Senior managers

Panels

UNISON also has a number of panels and forums dealing with issues for specific groups of staff.

Regions

Each UNISON region has a regional health committee with representative from local branches. Some regions also have sector committees.