Pay Fair for Patient Care – support Mid Cheshire Healthcare Assistants

Dear Ian Moston,

Healthcare Assistants (HCAs) and Medical Imaging Assistants (MIAs) employed at Mid Cheshire hospitals give invaluable care to some of Cheshire’s most vulnerable residents – but for years they’ve been undervalued and underpaid by your trust.

Support staff at the Trust are employed on Band 2 and, as such, should only undertake personal care such as assisting patients with feeding, toileting and bathing. However a survey of hundreds of staff found that the vast majority of HCAs and MIAs are regularly and routinely undertaking clinical duties above their pay grade which should be paid at least Band 3. Duties include taking bloods, urinalysis, cannulation, wound dressings and more.

The difference between Band 2 and Band 3 NHS pay is nearly £2,000 per year – it is absolutely outrageous that dedicated staff, who already went above and beyond during the pandemic, are being systematically underpaid for the work they do.

Healthcare Assistants in other NHS Trusts across the North West have come together in their trade union, UNISON, to win Band 3 and secure back-pay to reward and recognise the years they’ve been undertaking clinical duties.

A number of Trusts – including Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust, the Northern Care Alliance, Wrightington, Wigan and Leigh NHS Foundation Trust, Stockport NHS Foundation Trust, Pennine Care NHS Foundation Trust, Tameside and Glossop Integrated Care NHS Foundation Trust, and Greater Manchester Mental Health NHS Foundation Trust – have all re-banded their HCAs and paid back-pay up to 1 April 2018.

Why are HCAs employed at Mid Cheshire hospitals worth any less?

As concerned residents of Cheshire and beyond, we call on the Trust to show your workers the respect they deserve by paying them appropriately for the work they do and rewarding the years they’ve worked above their pay band by paying back-pay to 1 April 2018 as an absolute minimum.