Chaos And Conflict.

Change is never easy. It is much harder when few people support it. It is harder still if it is imposed.

Good change mainly comes from the bottom upwards and not from the top downwards.

At the very least there should be a consensus about changes. When the majority support change, that change is unstoppable and irreversible and drives people along like a tidal wave.

However, when change is not supported and is seen simply as a tool to disenfranchise, demoralise and divide, then you get chaos and conflict.

As someone once said, “All change is not growth, as all movement is not forward”.

Welcome to the world of Chaos and Conflict!

Chaos: Our A&E Support members are going through a huge period of uncertainty as changes to their working practices and Job Description (JD) may be imposed.

I write ‘may be’ because the process of transition from their current role (urgent care) into the proposed role (paramedic assistant for want of a better term) has not yet been clarified.

More worryingly, the procedure that will be used to manage and to help those members of staff who are unable, or unwilling, to make the transition has yet to be shared and agreed.

Staff-Side and Management have met to discuss the likely job demands of this new post as per Section 5 of the National Job Evaluation (JE) Handbook. The likely job demands should be reflected within a Job Description.

Although Staff-Side have gained changes to the original Job Description sent out to staff on 2nd July 2013, there are still some serious disagreements. We have concerns with major areas within the Job Description as it stands.

What we see as the likely demands of the job, is not what Management see. Although we are not a million miles apart, you will still need a sat-nav to get from one view of the job to the other (Managements’ sat-nav should be telling them to ‘make a U turn when possible’)!

This Job Description, in our view, places too much responsibility on the Paramedic because it ties the hands of, and de-skills, the A&E Support member of staff. This is being done to ‘squeeze’ staff into a particular pay band.

Management, of course, deny this.

Management have, however, sent this Job Description out to staff as ‘final’.

‘Final’ is such an uncompromising word.

Unfortunately, they sent the wrong one out!

Confusion for staff - Chaos for the process.

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Conflict: Paramedics: the forgotten professionals throughout this are being taken for granted.

A huge amount of responsibility is being put on their shoulders (whether they like it or not) because of the restrictions being imposed by Management within the Job Descriptions of A&E Support Staff.

Paramedics will be held more accountable then they have ever been. This would be no problem (they are professionally registered with the HCPC and have a clinical responsibility) if the colleague they work with didn’t have a ‘ball and chain’ Job Description around their ankles.

Let me be clear so that some people cannot continue to misrepresent where UNISON stands. We support Paramedics. We support a Paramedic on every vehicle. We support the best possible response and treatment given to the people of London. We support, and encourage, staff to become Paramedics.

But the Paramedic (and patient) has to be supported by a trusted colleague whose Job Description and Scope of Practice recognises them as much more than a driver and bag carrier.

To push through this change puts the Paramedic, A&E Support and, ultimately, the patient at risk.

We will be consulting with our Paramedic members over these changes in due course.

These are difficult times.

Support Your Union – Support Paramedics - Support A&E Support. 

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Annex E ballot papers are coming in at a good steady pace. If you have not voted yet please do. If you have not received a ballot paper please get in touch. Closing date: 12.00hrs 23rd August 2013.

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Staff from a Private Ambulance Company working a contract for East of England Ambulance Service are forced to live in tents between shifts!

Remember this!

This is why we are fighting to defend the NHS.

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 Information on all issues can be found elsewhere on our website.

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If you are reading this, work for the London Ambulance Service or are eligible to join, and are not yet a member of UNISON Join Today!

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We are stronger together.

Eric Roberts

Branch Secretary.