Trust calls on UNISON to pause strike action

The Trust wrote to UNISON on 11 April 2025 with a proposal for negotiation and a pause to ongoing phlebotomy industrial action. Unfortunately, they have decided to continue the strike.

UNISON began industrial action of Gloucestershire hospital's phlebotomy services in March 2025, which has caused disruption for patients and staff and is presently continuing until at least 18 May 2025.

UNISON has argued that Phlebotomists at our hospitals are on the wrong banding, which affects their pay. However, this is not true, and other local health services in Gloucestershire and the majority of other Trusts across the country pay the same as we do for phlebotomist roles.

This is a national, not local issue, and we have encouraged the union to raise it for review, rather than take industrial action that directly impacts patients.

All NHS Agenda for Change roles are matched to national role profiles, which have been developed with unions, and are regularly reviewed. This ensures consistency of pay and banding across the country.

As a Trust we pay in accordance with the Phlebotomists Band 2 National Profile.

The issue of pay was first raised by the Phlebotomists in February 2024, following a national change to the Health Care Support Worker role. Phlebotomist roles were not part of this national review.

A formal dispute was raised to the Trust in late September 2024, with UNISON requesting a review of our Phlebotomist's role profile.

It is reasonable that as jobs evolve the range of tasks and responsibilities change, which may require a review of the role profile and potentially the banding and pay.

We asked our Phlebotomists to work with their manager to identify any changes they believe should be made to the role profile or where it may have changed.

However, there was no submission for the role profile with any changes identified, and when asked why, UNISON confirmed the role had not changed.

Despite there being no change to the role, and to support partnership working, the Trust reviewed the role profile. Following a thorough process, it was confirmed that the role continues to be aligned with the national profile, and our Phlebotomists continue to be banded and paid correctly.

We want to see an end to the UNISON-led industrial action and have invited the union and our Phlebotomy Team to make recommendations for a new role profile and person specification, which reflects the role they believe the Trust requires of them for the future.

This will ensure we can work together to consider those changes, what impact it may have on role banding and what the organisation might require of its Phlebotomy team.

If UNISON believes the Phlebotomist National Profile is not correct, they are able to address this directly with the National Job Evaluation Group (JEG), and if the National Profile does change, all NHS Trusts can work in accordance with those changes.

We recognise and appreciate the valuable contribution that our phlebotomists make to patient care, and hope they will accept our suggestion of them submitting a new role profile and person speciation, which may help resolve these issues.