Health visitors in Wales extend strike action for another eight weeks

Striking health visitors in South Wales have announced a further eight weeks of industrial action as a dispute over pay continues.

Unite the union, which has been supporting around 100 health visitors at Cwm Taf Morgannwg (CTM) University Health Board to strike action since last month, warned the situation would see ‘essential, mandatory appointments go unfilled’.

It claimed health visitors were being incorrectly paid at a Band 6, when their job roles are equivalent to a Band 7 position, allegedly causing them to lose between £8,000 to £9,000 per year.

However, a spokesperson for CTM Health Board has said the job description for health visitors was recently evaluated but that it remains at a Band 6.

Unite last month announced that health visitors planned to strike from 23 February to 20 March.

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But following a march outside the Senedd where health visitors ‘loudly made their anger plain’, it has been confirmed that they will now take further industrial action that will last until at least 15 May.

Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said health visitors are now ‘ratcheting up the pressure’ to ‘get the money they are entitled to’.

Paul Seppman, Unite’s regional officer, added: ‘These are highly skilled and highly valuable healthcare professionals doing vital community outreach work.

‘This has now been going on for five years and our members will not tolerate this injustice anymore.’

He said that due to the actions of the health board, ‘appointments for new mothers and children are being cancelled’.

‘It can easily end the dispute by paying our members the money they are rightfully owed,’ he added.

Last month, the union said that following changes to standards for post-registration programmes in 2022 – that mean the minimum academic level for Specialist Community Public Health Nurse (SCPHN) and community nursing specialist qualifications (SPQs) is at a postgraduate master’s level – SCHPN members should review their banding and ensure they are being paid correctly.

However, the health board disputed this.

A spokesperson for CTM Health Board said: ‘We are disappointed with this announcement which, despite the very best efforts of our organisation which include engaging in talks via the Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service (ACAS), is likely to have a detrimental impact upon services for families in the Cwm Taf Morgannwg area.

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‘The health board has been in discussion with Unite and health visiting staff since a formal dispute was lodged in February 2024.

‘The dispute, at that time, asked for the Band 6 health visitor job description to be updated to reflect the duties of the role, and to re-evaluate the job. A process to review and agree the revised job description took place, facilitated by NHS Wales Employers.

‘The job description, which was agreed in social partnership, was re-evaluated, and came out at the same band, Band 6. The job description was issued to health visiting staff and remains in effect.’

They added: ‘Despite claims made by Unite, a Band 7 job description has not been agreed in partnership to date at CTMUHB, or on an All-Wales basis, by NHS Wales Employers.

‘It is important to recognise that the pay banding for health visitors in Cwm Taf Morgannwg University Health Board is the same the banding for health visitors across England and Wales.

‘It would therefore be inappropriate for CTMUHB, as an individual health board, to work in isolation to re-band its health visitor workforce.’

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The health board recognised education requirement changes by the NMC and said it was ‘committed to working through the implications of these changes in social partnership with trade unions’.

‘An expert partnership group has been established in NHS Wales to take these discussions forward which meets for the first time on 16 March,’ they said.

‘We respect the rights of colleagues to take industrial action and will work with teams to minimise disruption to families across our communities as required.’