Latest news with #KevinMcNamara
BBC News
07-07-2025
- Health
- BBC News
Gloucestershire trust has resolved midwife shortage, boss says
The chief executive of a hospital trust where the maternity services have been ranked as "inadequate" since 2022 has said it now employs more midwives than ever McNamara, who leads Gloucestershire Hospitals Trust, said its maternity services had been "a real issue but a real focus" since he took up the post in January are three maternity units in Gloucestershire and, since 2022, one has been partially shut and another entirely shut, both due to midwife shortages. Mr McNamara said the trust's midwife shortage had been "resolved" and that a health needs assessment was being carried out to determine local demand for maternity services, including the closed units. In June, Health Secretary Wes Streeting announced a national investigation into maternity care in England, listing Gloucestershire as one of "the trusts of greatest concern".Women can give birth in Stroud but there is no postnatal care available there, while the entire Aveta Birth Unit in Cheltenham is McNamara joined the trust shortly before its maternity service failures, including maternal deaths being twice the national average, were highlighted on the BBC's investigative documentary show Panorama."Last year, we were in a very precarious position when it came to the number of midwives," Mr McNamara said."We've resolved that issue, we now have more midwives than we ever have done in the service but there's more work to do with some other staff groups." Mr McNamara said midwives were "being spread too thinly" so had been "consolidated" at Gloucestershire Royal Hospital in Gloucester, which has the county's only fully open maternity unit."I recognise that's disappointing for the community but what I have been clear on is I don't want to compromise safety at the expense of choice," he said the health needs assessment, when it is finished in the autumn, would help to find out what is required from the trust's maternity services over the next five to 10 years.
Yahoo
04-07-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Strike among NHS hospital staff reaches 100th day
A strike among specialist health workers is becoming one of the longest in NHS history as workers reach their 100th day of industrial action. Gloucestershire phlebotomists, who take and handle patient blood samples, are classed as Band 2 on the NHS Agenda for Change pay scale but UNISON, their trade union, claims that is not enough for the responsibilities of their role. Kevin McNamara, chief executive of Gloucestershire Hospitals, said he was "keen to stick within the national framework" so there is "fairness and consistency across the whole of the NHS". But Caroline Hayhurst, one of the 37 striking phlebotomists, said: "Just because other trusts do something, doesn't make it right." More news stories for Gloucestershire Listen to the latest news for Gloucestershire Mr McNamara said the national campaign move healthcare support workers from Band 2 to Band 3 did not include phlebotomists. "I think it starts to undermine a pay terms and conditions framework if we start to take local decisions," he said. Mr McNamara said he first asked union colleagues to share an updated job description for evaluation last autumn, but claimed he only received it last week. "It is something we're committed to resolving but we have to do it in a proper process." UNISON said phlebotomists have been "wrongly placed on the lowest pay scale in the NHS", and perform "more complex tasks, usually associated with the higher NHS Band 3". Ms Hayhurst said she and her colleagues "love" their jobs, but "it has to be at a proper rate of pay". "Throughout this process, one of our chief exec's stances has been, 'The rest of the country are paying Band 2 to their phlebotomists' and he's absolutely right, there are many trusts who are still paying Band 2," she said. "There are others that have addressed the issue about the banding of their phlebotomists since we came out on strike and they have already changed it without their phlebotomists having to unionise," Ms Hayhurst added. "In order to bring about change, sometimes you have to challenge, and that's what we're doing." Follow BBC Gloucestershire on Facebook, X and Instagram. Send your story ideas to us on email or via WhatsApp on 0800 313 4630. 'Blood test delays' as workers continue pay protest Striking staff extend action further into June NHS phlebotomists six weeks into strikes over pay Gloucestershire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust UNISON
BBC News
04-07-2025
- Health
- BBC News
Gloucestershire phlebotomists reach 100th day of strike
A strike among specialist health workers is becoming one of the longest in NHS history as workers reach their 100th day of industrial phlebotomists, who take and handle patient blood samples, are classed as Band 2 on the NHS Agenda for Change pay scale but UNISON, their trade union, claims that is not enough for the responsibilities of their McNamara, chief executive of Gloucestershire Hospitals, said he was "keen to stick within the national framework" so there is "fairness and consistency across the whole of the NHS".But Caroline Hayhurst, one of the 37 striking phlebotomists, said: "Just because other trusts do something, doesn't make it right." Mr McNamara said the national campaign move healthcare support workers from Band 2 to Band 3 did not include phlebotomists."I think it starts to undermine a pay terms and conditions framework if we start to take local decisions," he McNamara said he first asked union colleagues to share an updated job description for evaluation last autumn, but claimed he only received it last week."It is something we're committed to resolving but we have to do it in a proper process." UNISON said phlebotomists have been "wrongly placed on the lowest pay scale in the NHS", and perform "more complex tasks, usually associated with the higher NHS Band 3".Ms Hayhurst said she and her colleagues "love" their jobs, but "it has to be at a proper rate of pay"."Throughout this process, one of our chief exec's stances has been, 'The rest of the country are paying Band 2 to their phlebotomists' and he's absolutely right, there are many trusts who are still paying Band 2," she said. "There are others that have addressed the issue about the banding of their phlebotomists since we came out on strike and they have already changed it without their phlebotomists having to unionise," Ms Hayhurst added."In order to bring about change, sometimes you have to challenge, and that's what we're doing."
BBC News
04-06-2025
- Business
- BBC News
Striking Gloucestershire NHS staff extend strike to 22 June
Medical staff who take blood samples have extended their current strike, which has now reached its 70th - staff who specialise in taking blood samples - at Gloucestershire Royal Hospital first contacted Kevin McNamara, chief executive, in September 2024 to raise concerns about pay, UNISON union said Mr McNamara still has not met the phlebotomists, who make 15p above minimum wage at £12.36 per hour, and that the strike will now continue up to 22 Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust has been approached for comment, but previously said it "would like to sit down with the union and work this through". According to NHS guidance, staff with phlebotomist skills should be earning at least 77p more per hour that they currently do, UNISON union added a formal NHS job evaluation panel reviewed their case earlier this year, with the majority of panel members concluding the workers were on the wrong the union claimed, the panel was shut down by "senior trust managers" before a decision could be South West regional organiser Chris Roche said: "These trained specialists support patients with complex needs and take blood samples in challenging circumstances."They've shown incredible courage in standing up for themselves and have been through the correct process, but they've been met with nothing but excuses and silence."It's time for Kevin McNamara to stop hiding behind his senior team and meet with the workers affected. Patients and staff deserve better."
Yahoo
11-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Jobs could be lost amid plans for NHS mergers
Jobs could be lost amid plans for health authorities in Gloucestershire to be merged with those in neighbouring counties. A national blueprint has been published setting out changes to the function of Integrated Care Boards (ICB) which would see responsibilities go to neighbourhood providers and NHS regions. Gloucestershire currently has its own ICB but health bosses were told on 8 May that this could soon change. Gloucestershire Hospitals NHS Trust chief executive Kevin McNamara said a significant reductions of non-clinical staff was expected. Central government wants to reduce the running costs of ICBs by around 50 per cent and cut non-clinical leadership by half, a Gloucestershire Hospitals NHS Trust board was told at a meeting last week. Mr McNamara said: "There will be human impact. We are working closely with ICB and Gloucestershire Health and Care NHS Foundation Trust colleagues to work our way through this." He said there was a vacancy freeze for non-clinical roles in the organisation unless they had a direct bearing on patient or staff safety or were business critical, reports the Local Democracy Reporting Service. "It's pretty fast moving," he said. He explained that over the next few months more would be known as discussions about how ICBs should be clustered was ongoing. More news stories for Gloucestershire Listen to the latest news for Gloucestershire NHS England has published guidance showing the roles and responsibilities of health authorities and ICBs. Mr McNamara said the NHS could be more efficient and said in Gloucestershire some of the corporate back office functions were triplicated. The NHS Gloucestershire Integrated Care Board said in a statement that any structural changes to the ICBs would not affect the current day to day provision of health services. It said the board would continue to have a critical role as strategic commissioners working to improve health, reduce inequalities and improve healthcare access. A spokesperson added: "In order to meet our more focused strategic commissioning role and the requirement to reduce our organisational costs, the ICB footprint is likely to be larger in the future, but it will be crucial to retain strong 'place' based arrangements and partnerships at a local level." Follow BBC Gloucestershire on Facebook, X and Instagram. Send your story ideas to us on email or via WhatsApp on 0800 313 4630. 'Blood test delays' as workers continue pay protest NHS phlebotomists six weeks into strikes over pay Maternity services rated 'unsafe' by inspectors Local Democracy Reporting Service
