Health visitors in Wales will begin a period of industrial action this month over concerns around their job descriptions and the ‘unsustainable demands’ they are reportedly facing.
Unite the union has this week announced that its health visitor members at Cwm Taf Morgannwg Health Board (CTM) health board, based in Merthyr Tydfil, will take action short of strike from 26 February until late July.
This will see health visitors at the board refuse to carry out unpaid overtime or cover for vacant caseloads, the union said. They will also not report statistics to the Welsh Government.
It follows a vote of 67 workers which saw 100% in favour of industrial action and, according to Unite, will be the first time health visitors have taken industrial action as a ‘distinct group of workers’ in Wales.
The action has been sparked by concerns over ‘outdated’ job descriptions of health visitors in the area.
Unite said members wanted their job descriptions replaced ‘with an accurate reflection of the role they now undertake’, but that this request had been denied ‘on multiple occasions’.
According to the union, the board’s management ‘has failed to address this issue due to the likely increase in pay that would accompany it’.
However, a spokesperson at the board said it was ‘committed to listening’ to its staff and that it continued to work with its health visitors ‘to develop a robust job description that meets both the needs of the population and the service’.
Unite also warned its health visitors in the area were faced with ‘increasing and unsustainable demands for their specialist knowledge and expertise’, while also up against ‘unfilled vacancies and above average sickness rates’.
Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said: ‘Our health visitor members at CTM have seen a massive increase in the complexity of their caseloads.
‘Chronic vacancy rates and increased demands means they are prevented from doing their jobs effectively.’
Unite regional officer Paul Seppman added: ‘Our members are disillusioned with the tactics employed by their management and the total lack of recognition of their legitimate concerns.
‘Unite has made numerous attempts to resolve this with the employer, all of which have been ignored.
‘This is shocking behaviour from the health board which now needs to engage with us and treat their employees with the respect they very much deserve.’
A spokesperson for the CTM health board said: ‘We are aware of the concerns raised by some colleagues in our health visiting team.
‘As a service, we are committed to listening to our staff, and continue to engage with these individuals and their trade union representatives, as we have done throughout this process.’
They added: ‘We continue to work with our health visitors to develop a robust job description that meets both the needs of the population and the service.’
More widely, in recent months there have been calls for health visitors to have closer ties with GP practices.
