Unison ambulance branch has considered the extreme pressure imposed on Unison members at their end of shift and the inevitable late finishes due to delays with patient handover at Emergency Departments.
To date, this has been managed through agreed end-of-shift protocols. However, the delays at ED’s have become the “new normal” and Unison members continue to suffer imposed late finishes on a significant proportion of their planned shifts.
The Trust has agreed to amend the compensatory rest procedure to allow a 12-hour break for staff who have a late finish of more than one hour. Although welcome, this only masks and fails to address the cause of the problem which is the delays with patient handover at the receiving Emergency Departments and the unnecessary allocation of lower acuity calls during the last hours of a shift.
With this in mind, your branch committee have considered how to minimise the number of imposed late finishes and delays at the EDs. We as a branch cannot change the inadequate capacity within the EDs or resolve the patient flow issues at the receiving hospitals, this is being challenged by Unison regionally with all HSC Trusts and the Department of Health.
We can however take steps to ensure crews are only dispatched to appropriately triaged priority calls in the last hours of a shift.
It is Unison’s clear position that the withdrawal of labour cannot be considered as Action Short of Strike Action. Therefore, not attending certain categories of calls in the last hour of a shift could be considered to be strike action.
The branch committee have therefore requested that the NIAS Trust be given the appropriate legal notice of our intention to start a continuous period of industrial action which will be in addition to the ongoing ASOS.
Unison members will only be dispatched Category 1 calls and upgraded calls that meet the definition of “Life and limb” cover in the last hour of every shift.
All other agreed end-of-shift protocols supporting staff that restrict the allocation of lower acuity calls in the last two hours of a shift will continue to apply.
This will be implemented with immediate effect once the appropriate legal notice has been served.
ASOS Update – 6th October 2023
Unison members began a further period of industrial action short of strike action (ASOS) starting at 00:01 on 1st September 2023 and running until 23:59 on Saturday 30th September 2023, with a further continuance of ASOS running from 00:01 on 1st October 2023 and running until 23:59 on Tuesday 31st October 2023.
Action short of strike (ASOS): 1st – 31st October 2023
- Refusing to have breaks interrupted.
Derogations – A&E operational members will request to have their meal breaks at their base station, within the agreed meal break windows. These breaks should only be disturbed for Category 1 immediately life-threatening calls. All members on unpaid meal breaks should have their meal breaks at their base station/location, within the meal break period. These breaks should not be disturbed.
- Working strictly to health & safety protocols.
Derogations – None
- Withdrawal from all union/management/Department of Health engagement except regional meetings on dispute resolution.
Derogations – None
- Strict adherence to start times.
Derogations – None.
Members should not start or book early to answer calls, complete vehicle checks / VDIs etc. These should be commenced at the shift start time. Station-based relief members should start and finish at their base station. At the commencement of their shift, before onward travel to stations which are not their base station, but where they have been assigned duties, except when doing so would incur additional travel or expense. Relief staff will not use their own private vehicles to travel to any locations other than their base station.
Local Unison Shop Stewards and H&S Reps should be contacted if further information is required. NIAS has been given due notice of this action short of strike, as per legislative requirements. RMC / line managers will be contacting Relief Staff to ascertain if they will be taking industrial action.
End of communique
