Radiographers tell government “you must listen to staff”

Radiographers expressed their anger in November about the impact the government’s reform agenda is having on patient care and staff jobs. More than a thousand NHS staff travelled to London to tell their MPs that morale amongst health service employees is at rock bottom.

Pravina Ellis addressed the media on behalf of the profession: “Imaging and therapy departments face acute staff shortages because of government cutbacks,” she said.

“In my nuclear medicine department we only have half the staff we need to operate the gamma cameras so the machines are not being used to full capacity. We also have to pick up administrative work such as bookings. We are so stretched we can’t pay enough attention to patients.”

Ms Ellis, who works at the Royal London Hospital, Whitechapel, called on the government to rethink its reform agenda. “Over the last decade we have seen countless changes enforced but the situation in departments has not improved. It should not just be about meeting targets, modernisation must have a positive impact on patient care.”

The SoR was one of 17 unions to take part in the lobby, organised by NHS Together - a partnership of health unions which aims to make the government rethink continuing NHS reforms without staff consultation or commitment.

Director of industrial relations Warren Town delivered a speech. “NHS staff are not opposed to change or reform,” he said. “Radiographers have long been at the forefront of improved service delivery and role development initiatives. But reform that supports better patient care is being replaced by untested changes with no staff involvement.

An open-top bus touring the capital"Our aim is to make the government see that taking staff with you is the most important aspect of making change work.”

This sentiment was echoed by voters in a recent TUC survey. Results show that four out of five agree that when planning changes to the NHS, ministers should do everything they can to involve NHS staff in agreeing to and implementing change.

TUC general secretary Brendan Barber said: “This poll should ring alarm bells in government. It shows that voters do not back crucial parts of the government's reform agenda. Instead they want ministers to work with and to trust NHS staff to make the NHS better.”

24/11/2006