REHABILITATION support workers at Kendray Hospital - described as the backbone of patient care - have launched a petition calling for ‘fair pay’.
Staff at the hospital are calling on the South West Yorkshire Partnership NHS Foundation Trust to raise their pay to ensure that their skills are being properly accounted for.
The rehabilitation support workers at Kendray Hospital, which is based on Doncaster Road, are currently on band two of the NHS system.
NHS pay bands are a system used to categorise and pay NHS staff based on their roles, responsibilities, and experience.
There are nine main bands, numbered one through nine, with band one being the entry-level and band nine being the most senior.
It means staff are among the lowest paid in the health service, something they do not feel is fair.
In partnership with union Unison, the workers have launched a petition and have asked for residents’ support.
A spokesperson for Unison said: “Band two rehabilitation support workers in Barnsley have launched a petition as part of their campaign for managers to move them up a level on the NHS Agenda for Change pay scale, to reflect the types of tasks they are required to complete.
“The lone workers, who are employed by South West Yorkshire Partnership NHS Foundation Trust, visit patients in their homes, where they provide vital care and support - often in challenging and unpredictable environments.
“Their duties often go beyond band two personal care tasks like feeding and bathing.
“They regularly carry out clinical responsibilities, such as patient observations and interventions, which should be recognised with appropriate pay.”
Subsequently, Unison is calling on the trust to re-band the workers from band two to band three to reflect their clinical duties and responsibilities.
They are also asking the trust to ensure the pay is fair, recognising and supporting the staff who work in ‘challenging and unpredictable environments’.
Unison has already worked alongside healthcare support workers across the trust to negotiate back pay and re-banding for healthcare staff performing similar clinical duties, moving them from band two to band three.
That move is worth nearly £2,000 a year for staff and it has been backdated to August 2021.
But despite the similar roles, rehabilitation workers have not received the same treatment.
A spokesperson for the trust told the Chronicle: “We value all of our staff and recognise the significant contributions they make to all our services.
“We remain committed to resolving grievances in partnership with our trade unions.
“This matter is currently ongoing and is being managed through an internal process designed to ensure that all voices are heard and concerns are appropriately addressed.
“While this process may take time, it is important. We will continue to communicate openly with all parties involved."
n To sign the petition, visit the Barnsley Chronicle website.
