Gloucestershire phlebotomists strike reaches 50th day, with more to come
The industrial action's in a row over pay
Strikes by phlebotomists at Gloucestershire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust are into their 50th day today (Thursday 15th May), with more to follow.
The UNISON union say two more weeks of industrial action will take place, in an ongoing row over pay.
It means the walkouts by staff who deal with patient blood samples will continue until at least Sunday 1st June.
The union say the dispute is over the 'trust’s refusal to properly re-evaluate the roles phlebotomists currently perform, and which should be paid at a higher grade'.
Talks took place this week (Tuesday 13th May) to resolve the dispute, but the trust made clear it would only allow a job evaluation panel to look into a new, hypothetical job description for the future, not the tasks phlebotomists have been doing for years.
UNISON South West regional organiser Chris Roche said: “Phlebotomists at Gloucestershire hospitals have the skills, knowledge and experience that clearly meet the criteria for a band 3 role.
“They carry out complex procedures, care for patients with additional needs and work independently across wards and clinics.
“They have done this vital job for years and they deserve to be recognised and paid accordingly.”
In a statement, Gloucestershire Hospitals NHS Trust said:
"We recognise the valuable contribution that our phlebotomists make to patient care, and we will continue to work closely in partnership with our local union representatives and phlebotomists to resolve these issues."
What does it mean for patients?
Anyone with an appointment at either Cheltenham General Hospital or Gloucester Royal Hospital during the industrial action is asked to attend as normal, unless they hear from the trust directly to advise otherwise.
There are no phlebotomy services/blood samples being taken (using a needle) in outpatients at West Block, Cheltenham General Hospital; Edward Jenner Centre, Gloucestershire Royal Hospital; or Quayside Community Diagnostic Centre (CDC) during this time though.
Bloods will be taken (using a needle) throughout periods of industrial action across other services such as emergency care where our clinical teams regularly provide this care.
We would like to apologise for any inconvenience this may cause.