Update - Resolving the Phlebotomy Industrial Action
Further talks have been held between the Trust and Unison regarding the ongoing strike by Phlebotomists at Gloucestershire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust.
Latest offer from the Trust to end the dispute
The latest meeting held on 20 October involved ACAS (Arbitration and Conciliation Advisory Service) to seek to make progress in the dispute and follows two other senior level meetings held between both organisations over recent weeks.
In these meetings the Trust has made several offers to Unison to seek a resolution to the current dispute.
This includes an offer of:
- More pay – a Band 3 Healthcare Support Worker (HCSW) role in outpatients for all Phlebotomy staff.
- Backpay – in recognition of the dispute, the Trust has offered to pay the difference between the current band and the new Band 3 HCSW role back to April 2025.
- Protection of current enhancements – Some Phlebotomy colleagues currently work a 1 in 4 rota covering 8am-12pm Saturday and Sunday, and receive pay on top of their contracted hours for this work.
Under the new role, the weekend pay will be protected for a period of time, while a new model for weekend work is developed and put in place. - Better training – the Band 3 HCSW role is not only higher paid but also includes better training, leading to gaining a recognised Care Certificate (in line with other Healthcare Support Workers across the Trust).
The Trust has offered up to 12 months of support for the transition to the new role and training, including paid time to complete any relevant aspects of training.
The role also opens opportunities for career development and access to apprenticeships, including nurse associate or registered nurse roles. - Improved facilities – a better location for patients and staff for this service within the outpatients department. This will also improve the patient experience by addressing the issue the service had previously, where patients sometimes had to wait in the corridor to be seen.
- Maintaining the identity of the Phlebotomy role – We understand how important the phlebotomy identity is to the individuals, so the Trust has offered to strengthen the current Band 3 HCSW Outpatient job description to include specific references to Phlebotomy as an integral part of the role.
In summary, the Trust has made an offer for more pay, better training and better facilities for Phlebotomy staff.
As a Trust, maintaining the integrity of the national Agenda for Change Pay, Terms and Conditions framework is important in ensuring proper process is followed and that all staff groups across the Trust are treated fairly and equally.
The offers made to our Phlebotomy teams ensure that, and will also mean the improvements made in the services and for patients during this strike are maintained and built on.
Over the past six months we have seen no drop in the quality of the bloods being taken by HCSW staff and we have seen an improvement in discharges of inpatients before midday due to bloods being processed.
This has helped the Trust with improving flow and ultimately care for patients throughout the hospital and contributing towards the improvements in ambulance handovers.
Offer of an independent panel to assess the Band 2 role
The Trust has held three Job Evaluation panels involving union and employer colleagues, but has not reached a consensus.
Therefore, we have offered for the current Band 2 role to be submitted to the national Job Evaluation Group (JEG) for an independent and objective evaluation of the role.
The Trust has committed to being bound by the outcome of that panel.
The commissioning of an independent national JEG panel is the next step, agreed by the NHS Staff Council, when there is an intractable dispute.
However, Unison is not supportive of an independent and objective panel considering the role or to be bound by the outcome should one be held.
All the offers from the Trust are an important step, and although Unison has not yet accepted them, we are hopeful that they will be supported and help to end the dispute.
Further meetings are planned within the next two weeks.
Background to the industrial action
The Trust received a formal grievance from the phlebotomists in September 2024, and Unison strike action started on 17 March 2025. Their claim is as follows:
- They are currently paid at the level of Agenda for Change (AfC) Band 2, but they believe they should be paid a Band 3. They are asking to be paid at the top of Band 3;
- They want the phlebotomy supervisors who are currently paid a Band 3 to become a Band 4;
- They want back-pay to 2018 with a potential cost that could be as high as £450,000.
The Trust uses the national Band 2 Phlebotomy role profile, the same as most Trusts across the country, including our partner Trust, Gloucestershire Health and Care.
If the offer of the new Band 3 Healthcare Support Worker role was accepted, this would mean that on average a member of staff on strike will be better off by at least 24p per hour and up to £1.09 per hour. The hourly rate for Band 3 is £12.75 rising to £13.60 after two years.
The Trust received a revised job description from Unison at the end of June 2025. An internal job evaluation panel, made up of union and Trust staff, reviewed this but could not reach a consensus view about the banding on three separate occasions.