BIOS BIOS News

Proposals for Regional Pay for NHS Workers

Wed, 16 May 2012 15:59:57 GMT

The argument for Regional Pay:

The Department of Health says that private sector businesses can struggle to compete for staff in certain areas of the country where the NHS “overpays workers” and the pay differential between NHS and private sector workers is high.

Andrew Lansley, the health secretary, is supporting proposals for regional pay for NHS workers – meaning that some nurses, midwives and hospital porters would be paid less in poorer parts of the country.

The Department of Health has said in written evidence to the NHS Pay Review Body, which is examining regional pay, that “there is a prima facie case for the introduction of more market facing pay” for some staff, and the introduction of such pay would “enable more efficient and effective use of NHS funds.”

The NHS Pay Review Body is due to report its conclusions this summer as part of plans to introduce more local variation in pay.

The argument against Regional Pay

Here are just five reasons why it doesn't add up:

It's unfair

Regional pay could mean two nurses or teachers with the same skills and experience being paid differently in two different places - even though they're doing the same job. People should be paid based on their skills and the work they do, not where they live. Low pay could make it harder for poorer regions to attract and keep the skilled public sector workers they need.

Regional pay could also work against equal pay. Great progress has been made in the public sector in narrowing the pay gap between women and men. For instance, the Agenda for Change system in the NHS was designed to deliver equal pay. Bringing in local or regional pay could unravel this progress.

It's bad for the economy

Public sector workers are already feeling the pinch from pay freezes, the VAT rise and inflation. Regional pay would mean holding back pay for even longer in the parts of the country that are struggling the most.

Holding back public sector pay will take money out of public sector workers' pockets that they would otherwise spend in local shops and businesses. Taking demand out of the economy like this will hurt the private sector and widen the north-south divide.

It isn't backed up by evidence

The government has argued that public sector pay stops the private sector growing. In fact, there's no evidence to support this. There is an average of five people chasing every job vacancy, and up to 30 unemployed people per vacancy in some areas. It's the lack of demand in the economy, not the wages of nurses and teachers that is causing the problem.

It isn't what the private sector does

Most big private sector employers recognise that a national system is the fairest and most efficient way to set pay. In fact, companies like Waterstones, Greggs, Marks and Spencer, BT and Halfords all take the same sort of approach as the public sector: a national pay system with limited additions for London and the south east of England.

It's unpopular

According to a recent opinion poll only 28% of voters believe the idea of extending pay freezes for public sector workers outside of the south east and London would be fair. As few as 17% believe that real term pay cuts for public sector workers would help low pay regional economies. It's time that coalition MPs listened to their constituents, heard their concerns and put a stop to these damaging and divisive plans.

Why Regoinal Pay Doesnt Add up April 2012.pdf

What do you think about this?

Want to do something about it?

Various materials are now up on a dedicated page of the TUC website at www.tuc.org.uk/payfair , including tools to help you write to your MPs and local newspapers and a model council motion.

Social Partnership Forum - May Bulletin released

Fri, 04 May 2012 19:19:51 GMT

The Social Partnership Forum brings together NHS employers, trade unions and the Department of Health to discuss, debate and involve partners in the development and implementation of the workforce implications of policy.

In the May edition: read about the issues discussed at the national SPF meetings held in February and April and updates from the Staff Passport, HR Transition Forum, Embedding Partnership Working subgroups. Other topics include the refreshed Partnership Agreement and Members Handbook, the second national transitional partnership event on 27 March at the TUC, the outcomes of the SPF 2012 stocktake review, and the results of the NHS Staff Survey.

Read the latest bulletin
http://www.socialpartnershipforum.org/SiteCollectionDocuments/May%202012%20SPF%20Bulletin.pdf

Novartis challenges use of cheap alternative to Lucentis

Tue, 24 Apr 2012 13:55:09 GMT

The pharmaceutical company Novartis is challenging the use of a cheaper alternative to its drug Lucentis for a common cause of loss of vision.

The NHS in four areas in the south of England agreed last year that a drug called Avastin could be prescribed for the condition wet AMD.

Lucentis is recommended for use by the NHS drugs watchdog NICE.

Avastin is not officially approved for eye conditions, but is being widely used off licence.

Severe loss of vision

Wet age-related macular degeneration, or AMD, is a common cause of loss of vision in older people.

According to the NHS, around 70% of people with wet AMD will experience severe loss of sight within two years of being diagnosed.

Lucentis, which costs around £740 per injection, is the treatment officially recommended to the NHS in England by the independent advisor NICE.

It was developed for use in eye conditions and has been given a European licence, or safety approval, for treating wet AMD.

The NHS in Southampton, Hampshire, The Isle of Wight and Portsmouth decided last year that it would also pay for the use of Avastin, where it was prescribed by an opthamologist.

Avastin costs around £60 per injection, and has to be used off licence as it has not been formally approved for use in eyes.

'Safety at risk'

Novartis, which makes Lucentis, is seeking a judicial review of the policy to pay for Avastin on the NHS.

The company argues that systems put in place to safeguard patients are being undermined.

Novartis said: "It is unacceptable to put the safety of patients at risk through the widespread use of an unlicensed treatment when a licensed medicine is available.

"It undermines the regulatory process that was introduced to safeguard patients."

But the four primary care trusts, now working together, which agreed to fund Avastin say it is offered as an extra option for clinicians. They will still pay for the more expensive Lucentis when its prescribed.

The PCTs say the cheaper alternative is safe and useful.

"Avastin is internationally recognised as an effective treatment for AMD, and for example over 50% of AMD patients in the United States are treated with Avastin."

'Greater clarity needed'

Behind the legal case is a dilemma for the health service. Using a cheaper drug that seems to work well, even if it is not licensed for this condition, saves money.

However, it could also create a disincentive for the pharmaceutical industry to develop expensive new treatments.

The Macular Disease Society says there needs to be greater clarity. It is worried that as off licence use of Avastin has increased in the NHS, patients are sometimes being asked to decide which drug to try.

Spokesperson Cathy Yelf said: "If Avastin is not as safe as Lucentis, no-one should be using it. If it is as good, then perhaps everyone should be using it. "

There are some research studies under way to compare the two drugs, but NICE is unable to review Avastin for eye disease as it has not been officially approved for that use.

See the article on the BBC News website
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-17817945#?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter

HPC launches consultation on profession-specific standards of proficiency

Mon, 23 Apr 2012 20:14:04 GMT

Our regulator, The Health Professions Council (HPC), has launched consultations to invite stakeholders for their views on its review of the profession-specific standards of proficiency for arts therapists, dietitians, occupational therapists, orthoptists, physiotherapists, and radiographers.

The standards of proficiency serve a particular purpose – they are threshold standards for safe and effective practise in the UK. They are divided into generic standards (which apply to all the professions) and standards specific to each of the professions regulated. The HPC has already revised and restructured the generic standards. Under the new structure, the standards of proficiency will be profession-specific, listed under fifteen new generic standards.

The review is an opportunity to make sure the standards of proficiency are relevant to each profession. No standards will be lost, but the language used may change to ensure the standards are appropriate and applicable to individual professions.

Director of Policy and Standards, Michael Guthrie, commented:

“At the start of the review of each profession’s standards, we asked the relevant professional bodies to review the standards of proficiency for their profession and recommend changes. We then used their comments to produce a revised set of draft standards for each profession, which we are now consulting on.

“These consultations are about the standards for the first group of professions to undergo review. We will continue to review the profession-specific standards for the other professions we regulate on a rolling basis over the next 18 months.

“We will use the responses we receive to decide if further changes are needed. After the final sets of standards are approved by our Council, they will be published. We will work with education providers to phase-in the new standards gradually after each profession’s revised standards are published.”

The consultation will put the proposed standards before a wide range of stakeholders, including professional bodies, education providers, and others with an interest in our work. The consultation will run for fourteen weeks, until 27 July 2012.

BIOS will of course be compiling a profession-wide response, so do let us know what your views are: mailto:bios@orthoptics.org.uk

For further information about the consultation, please contact Alison Croad, Policy Officer on alison.croad@hpc-uk.org or email consultation@hpc-uk.org

The full documents are available on-line and a copy can be downloaded from the HPC website: www.hpc-uk.org/aboutus/consultations/

The Health Professions Council is an independent, UK-wide health regulator set up by the Health Professions Order (2001). The HPC keeps a register for 15 different health professions and only registers people who meet the standards it sets for their training, professional skills, behaviour and health. The HPC will take action against people who do not meet these standards or who use a protected title illegally.

PENSIONS DEBATE CONCLUDES AND NOW OPEN FOR CONSULTATION WITH BIOS MEMBERS

Fri, 16 Mar 2012 13:36:21 GMT

Discussions concluded on public service pensions details

FInal offer document:

PENSIONS 2012 Proposed Final Agreement March 9 2012.pdf

Discussions have now concluded with health, education and civil service unions on details for new public service pension schemes to be introduced from 2015.

Heads of Agreement on the main elements of scheme design were reached on 20 December 2011 for the NHS Pension Scheme, the Principal Civil Service Pension Scheme and the Teachers’ Pension Scheme. Further work on the remaining details has taken place between departments and trades unions. Discussions have now concluded for these schemes and Proposed Final Agreements, based on the Heads of Agreement reached on 20 December, have been published today by departments.

These Proposed Final Agreements remain in line with the approach set out in Lord Hutton’s report and will mean that public service pensions remain among the very best available. The agreements also continue to deliver the Government’s key objectives on linking Normal Pensions Age to State Pension Age and moving to schemes based on career average salary, while protecting those closest to retirement. While most workers will be asked to retire later and pay more towards their pension, at the same time, most low and middle earners working a full career will receive pension benefits at least as good, if not better, than they get now. Those less than ten years from their Normal Pension Age on 1 April 2012 will continue to be protected from these changes.

Details agreed include, a process with trades unions for assessing the equalities impacts of these reforms; clarification on death in service and other ancillary benefits, such as the treatment of members who leave active service but rejoin within five years; and options for members to contribute more in order to top up their pension if they choose to retire early. The enhanced cost ceilings set on 2 November 2011 remain unchanged, with no additional money made available.

The majority of unions have agreed to take these Proposed Final Agreements to their Executives as the outcome of negotiations. In parallel with this process, the Government has begun working on the implementation of these scheme designs and will introduce legislation as soon as parliamentary time allows, so that new schemes can be in place by 2015.

Chief Secretary to the Treasury, Danny Alexander, said:

"The conclusion of talks at scheme level follows constructive discussion with unions on the final details of the Heads of Agreement set out last year.

“These agreements mean that public servants who have dedicated their lives to serving the public will rightly continue to receive pensions that are among the very best available, while delivering the Government’s key objectives in full.

“This is a fair deal for public service workers and an affordable deal for the taxpayer.”

For the Local Government Pensions Scheme (LGPS) the Government, the LGA and trades unions agreed principles for further discussions on 20 December 2011, based on the Government’s key objectives of linking Normal Pension Age to State Pensions Age and moving to a career average scheme. All parties are working to agree the design of a new scheme by April 2012, for introduction in April 2014. These discussions are ongoing.

Notes

1. The Government is committed to an average increase of 3.2 percentage points in member contributions, as set out at the Spending Review and phased in over three years from April 2012. The Government is not proposing any further increase in total employee scheme contribution rates.

2. In July 2011, the Government agreed a process with trades unions for taking forward Lord Hutton’s proposals for long-term reform of public service pensions through scheme-specific talks. To provide the parameters for talks with trades unions, the Government set out initial cost ceilings at the beginning of October 2011. These cost ceilings set out the combined employee and taxpayer contributions.

3. Following these discussions, the Government increased these cost ceilings, making its offer 8 per cent more generous. On 20 December 2011, Heads of Agreement on the main elements of scheme design were reached within these cost ceilings for the NHS Pension Scheme, the Principal Civil Service Pension Scheme, the Teachers’ Pension Scheme and the Local Government Pensions Scheme.

4. The Department of Health, the Cabinet Office and the Department for Education, have today published the proposed final detailed design for their pensions schemes, following the conclusion of talks with unions. These proposed agreements can be found on departmental websites.

5. Heads of Agreement for the Firefighters’ Pensions Scheme were set out on 9 February 2012. The remaining details are being finalised in discussions.

6. Discussions on police, armed forces and judiciary are a separate process and proposals will be brought forward in due course.

BIOS JOINS FORCES WITH ROYAL COLLEGE OF GPs TO STOP HEALTH & SOCIAL CARE BILL

Fri, 09 Mar 2012 20:09:39 GMT

A letter went to the Deputy Prime Minister, Nick Clegg, from RCGP and several other professional bodies, including BIOS, as co-signatories on 9th March.

Our hope is that, ahead of the Lib Dem Spring Conference, to make the appeal to this side of the Coalition Government to withdraw the Health and Social Care Bill.

The organisations signing the letter represent over 100,000 professionals working in the NHS and providing frontline care to patients. The concern remains providing and planning the best possible quality of care to patients should the bill go through.

Read the full letter:

Letter to the Deputy Prime Minister 090312.pdf

BIOS Response to Commissioning Outcomes Framework (COF) - Submission Completed

Sun, 04 Mar 2012 22:34:59 GMT

The Response to Commissioning Outcomes Framework (COF) and further request for COF indicators response has now been submitted to NICE.

This was co-ordinated by UK Vision Strategy and agreed with member organisations, including BIOS. Other member organisations incoude: RNIB, Guide Dogs and Royal College of Opthalmology.

The COF was initiated by the NHS Commissioining Board
http://www.commissioningboard.nhs.uk/2011/11/29/cof/
and in conjunction with NICE
http://www.nice.org.uk/aboutnice/cof/cof.jsp

Background

What is the COF?

The NHS Commissioning Board, supported by NICE and working with professional and patient groups, will develop a Commissioning Outcomes Framework (COF) that measures the health outcomes and quality of care (including patient reported outcome measures and patient experience) achieved by clinical commissioning groups.

The COF will allow the NHS Commissioning Board to identify the contribution of clinical commissioning groups to achieving the priorities for health improvement in the NHS Outcomes Framework, while also being accountable to patients and local communities. It will also enable the commissioning groups to benchmark their performance and identify priorities for improvement.

The NHS Commissioning Board is engaging with clinical commissioning groups and patient and professional organisations to develop emerging proposals for the COF. Find further details about this engagement.

BOS TU PENSIONS BRIEFING DOCUMENT RELEASED

Mon, 20 Feb 2012 21:14:44 GMT

PENSIONS BRIEFING FEBRUARY 2012

Please find latest Pensions briefing document fom BOS TU. A Heads of Agreement was signed by BOS TU which was an agreement in principle to stay at the table whilst the finer details on the proposals on pensions are still being negotiated but this does not preclude further industrial action or protests taking place.

A SurveyMonkey of 436 members indicated that although seven in ten wanted a ballot on strike action over this issue, over four in ten would not actually strike and 18% didn't know if they would or not.

We are making preparations for a formal ballot to be done by the Electoral Reform Society, but will only do so when other union's positions are clearer and will not rush into the decision as it is a resource-intensive process.

A cross-section of BOS TU members' views follows:

I signed up 32 years ago for a pension that will be changed by this government's mismanagement, I want to show my disgust somehow so would strike for 1 day

I think the work that BIOS rep is doing on our behalf is fantastic and I continue to
be influenced by this as to my decisions and opinions on what action to take.

Based on last years strike day the impact on service appeared to be minimal. I
think strike action would only really be effective if the majority of unions voted in
favour of action. Personally I don't see how these recent proposals for NHS
pensions improve the situation for me at all.

I do not think we are getting an unfair deal re pensions and are actually doing better than most private sector workers. The changes are in response to population change, etc and i am afraid we need to go with this. This is the reason why i have no wish to strike and no empathy for those who do.

TUC URGES - WORK YOUR PROPER HOURS!

Mon, 30 Jan 2012 16:23:11 GMT

Work Your Proper Hours Day is on Friday 24 February.

Now in its ninth year, Work Your Proper Hours Day is a TUC campaign to highlight the unsung extra hours that workers across the UK put in to boost our economy.

More than five million employees across the UK worked a record £29 billion of unpaid overtime last year. The two billion hours of unpaid overtime is the equivalent of a million extra full-time jobs – that’s lots of free work at a time of high unemployment and when paid overtime for workers is falling.

The TUC will be urging people to take part in Work Your Proper Hours Day by taking a proper lunch break and leaving work on time. It’s also an opportunity for bosses to thank their staff for the extra time they’re putting in and possibly even treat them to a drink after work!

Unions can join in Work Your Proper Hours Day 2012 by distributing posters or leaflets to activists and members to put up on staff notice boards and office desks, and encouraging people to promote the day on facebook and twitter.

Work Your Proper Hours Day website – www.workyourproperhoursday.org.uk

Eye health indicator in the Public Health Outcomes Framework

Thu, 26 Jan 2012 01:25:45 GMT

We are delighted to tell you that on Monday 23rd January the Government announced the inclusion of an eye health indicator in the Public Health Outcomes Framework.

This is a major breakthrough for all of us in eye health care and a reward for our hard work to ensure that the Government has at last recognised eye health as a public health priority.

It is anticipated also that the UK Vision Strategy will be included in the Ministerial statement.

More details on:
http://www.dh.gov.uk/health/2012/01/public-health-outcomes/

NHS PENSIONS AGREEMENT IMMINENT - AFTER MONTHS OF NEGOTIATION: CHANGES TO TAKE EFFECT FROM 2015

Sat, 07 Jan 2012 03:43:34 GMT

The government has announced that after 10 months of negotiation a Heads of Agreement has been reached. read the full statement and use the interactive slide pack to discover if you will be better or worse off under this deal
http://www.dh.gov.uk/health/2011/12/slide-nhs-pension/

Unite has rejected the agreement - read more
http://www.socialistworker.co.uk/art.php?id=27139

Most of the trades unions have agreed to these proposals; although there are still some more discussions to have. Twenty-six of the 28 unions (including BOS TU) have signed up to these heads of agreement. Unite, as stated above, has reserved judgement and the PSC refused to agree.

Important changes to BIOS invoicing & payments

Sun, 18 Dec 2011 17:44:57 GMT

On Wednesday 14 December there was a major upgrade to the systems used by BIOS to manage its membership roll and events' registration. This has enabled some significant improvements in the way that we issue invoices and handle online payments.

invoice issued immediately - any transaction involving payment is completed by an invoice being issued; it is then your choice as to how and when to pay it (in accordance with the payment instructions shown during the transaction)
pay anytime online - you can now access online payment for any outstanding invoices by logging in and selecting View profile: if you have any unsettled invoices, you will see them listed under a grey Pay online button - you can pay several invoices at once if you wish.
pay without logging in - invoices now carry a link that allows you to click through and pay without logging into the website
assign invoice to another payee - if your employer has agreed to pay a fee for you, we can assign your invoice to them; please call the BIOS office for details on how to do this.

KEEP THE TUC STRIKE SONG HIGH IN THE CHARTS

Tue, 22 Nov 2011 19:42:17 GMT

Let’s Work Together by The Workers is hovering around the top 30 of the amazon download charts, in between JLS and the Cast of Glee!

The TUC would be very grateful for any help you can give to lift the song up the charts and public sector workers into the news by:

•1) Download the song from itunes, amazon or play.com

•2) Share the video with friends, family and colleagues www.theworkers.org.uk/lets-work-together-the-video/
•3) Join the facebook group http://www.facebook.com/ItsTheWorkers
•4) Ask their local radio station to play the song.

Strike November 2011 - Background and BOS TU position

Mon, 21 Nov 2011 18:02:15 GMT

TUC says "strike" because of hugely damaging changes to pensions, Lansley says "don't strike" - just work a bit longer and pay a bit more

Up to three million workers including nurses, head teachers, careworkers and physiotherapists are set to take part in industrial action over pension reforms. Eleven trade unions have (at the time of writing) called a collective day of strike action on 30 November, warning the government that Britain faces the "biggest mobilisation in a generation" unless ministers rethink "hugely damaging" changes to public sector pension schemes.

The TUC general secretary, Brendan Barber, said: "The intention will be to take the call for pensions justice for both public and private sector workers to every corner of the land on that day in the biggest trade union mobilisation in a generation." And the GMB union, which has more than 300,000 public sector members, has warned that the action could spread into next summer, hitting the London Olympics and the Queen's Jubilee.

In Northern Ireland, members of one of the main public sector unions, the Northern Ireland Public Service Alliance (Nipsa), will also go on strike on 30 November. The union's general secretary Brian Campfield said the vote in favour of industrial action reflected anger over attacks on pensions, pay and jobs.

On the other side of the debate (for we must present a balanced picture), Health Secretary, Andrew Lansley, has said at the NHS Employers Annual Conference and Exhibition this month that NHS staff should not strike at the end of this month, as a new offer put forward by the government (at the beginning of November) "significantly exceeds" Lord Hutton's recommendations on pension reforms. He said it was important to reach an agreement on pensions that was both fair to staff and to taxpayers.

"We all know that the circumstances have changed. We are living for longer, we are drawing our pensions for longer and old calculations are out of date. While I wish it were not so, we cannot deny the fact that without change the current pensions scheme is unsustainable. To compensate for that, people will need to work a bit longer and they will need to pay a bit more," he said.

The new offer protects pension rights that people have earned to date, and will ensure that those on low and middle incomes working a full career will receive pension benefits "at least as good if not better" than they get now when they come to retire at their new pension age, Lansley argued. He added: "And of those with less than 10 years to retirement will see no change in their pension. To get the same on the private market, a public sector worker will need to contribute around a third of their salary every year."

Chair of BOSTU, Lesley-Anne Baxter, countered: "Regrettably, the Society feels it has no option but to vigorously support those taking action on the 30^thNovember and still hold the right to ballot for action in the New Year and beyond, if necessary. We believe that the proposals as they stand are both neither fair nor justified, and fall well short of what is needed to achieve an acceptable settlement."

Activities in your area

As plans are finalised for events around the country on 30 November, they have been circulated to BOSTU members and are detailed on the False Economy website http://pensionsjustice.org.uk/. False Economy is an open site for campaigners, and if you’re organising your own event, you can add it directly to the site. There is a map detailing all local events.

Advice to BOS TU members – how you can support the action

BOS TU members, including agency staff and students, should attend work as normal – failure to do so is likely to be a breach of contract. You should:

not cover the work of another colleague or colleagues taking industrial action
avoid any voluntary overtime work (paid or unpaid) to cover the work of those taking industrial action
avoid any bank or agency work to cover the work of those involved in the industrial action.

You can, of course, in your own time, support the action of colleagues by attending demonstrations, meetings and signing petitions either on or off Trust property.

Activities will be taking place around the country to raise awareness; you can show support in the ways outlines above and explain to patients and the public why we are taking action (see below). Talk to colleagues, friends and the local community about how they can get involved by joining in activities, writing supporting letters to local papers and MPs and standing together with health workers. The message is "stand up for your pension – stand together on 30 November".

What to say to patients and the public

Why are some unions on strike and why is BOS TU supportive of the action?

The Proposed higher pension contributions would cut take-home pay by hundreds and in some cases thousands of pounds every year and the retirement age would eventually push up the age for retiring on a full pension to 68 and possibly even further, depending on State Pension Age changes.

Why not negotiate?

Trade unions and professional organisations representing staff across the NHS have been engaged in months of intense negotiations with government ministers but meaningful talks have been stifled by the constraints imposed by the Treasury. The government has made some movement recently, but unless and until real progress and acceptable offers are made within the schemes, unions are pressing ahead with plans. This includes unions working together to cover emergency services and maintain patient safety.

BOS TU Response to the Latest Pensions offer

Orthoptists often retire earlier and so will be severely hit by any planned pension decrease; we support the action on 30^thNovember.

The offer made by the Treasury on 2^ndNovember represents a (belated) step in the right direction, but the Government’s proposals as a whole will still hit members extremely hard.

We know that Orthoptists may have lower back and neck and shoulder problems as they get older due to the nature of the work and members have told us that they may have no option but to retire earlier, and therefore will suffer a large actuarial reduction in the value of their pensions – a fact not taken into account in any of the examples published by Government. The protection arrangements announced will be of benefit to older NHS staff, but the majority of members under the age of 40 (and the vast majority under the age of 50) will not benefit.

The proposed 50% increase in contribution rates starting from April 2012 will impact on almost every single BOS member, at a time when most are already feeling under financial pressure and are not receiving any increase in pay due to the government’s two-year pay freeze. Members agreed to increase their pensions contributions as part of the changes introduced in 2008, but the Society feels that the latest proposed increase is being introduced for reasons other than the health of the NHS pension scheme.

The improvement in the accrual rate for any future CARE scheme is recognised, but it still remains a fact that a profession such as ours who work hard to develop their clinical skills for the benefit of patients will be penalised in pension terms by the introduction of a CARE scheme in this way.

Finally, the move already taken by Government to change the basis on which pension increases are indexed from RPI (retail price index) to CPI (consumer price index) will affect every BOS member when they come to draw their pensions.

Regrettably, the Society feels it has no option but to vigorously support those taking action on the 30^thNovember and still hold the right to ballot for action in the New Year and beyond, if necessary. We believe that the proposals as they stand are both neither fair nor justified, and fall well short of what is needed to achieve an acceptable settlement. We will, however, continue to play a full role in the scheme-specific discussions that are finally now starting in earnest, as we did in the negotiations that led up to the 2008 agreement.

Our aim of trying to achieve a negotiated settlement is unchanged. We will keep all BOS members up to date with the national discussions taking place and hope you will be able to support your colleagues who may be taking strike action on the 30^thNovember.

Lesle-Anne Baxter lesleyanne.baxter@btinternet.com

Chair, BIOS & BOS TU

Only 1 in 4 UNISON Health Members Turn out to Vote 'Yes' to 30 November Strike

Thu, 03 Nov 2011 21:52:15 GMT

The BIOS has just heard that of the UNISON members who turned out, 76% have voted 'Yes' to industrial action to defend pensions in the biggest trade union ballot ever held, by 245,358 votes to 70,253.

This means that with only one in three members voting - there will be fierce debate about how to interpret the result and perhaps uncertainty about whether this gives a clear mandate for striking on November 30th.

Commenting on the result, general secretary Dave Prentis said: "The decisive Yes vote in the ballot, reflects the deep concern that our members have over government ministers’ proposals for their pensions. Yesterday's statement in Parliament was a marked improvement on earlier proposals.
But, it is important to understand that the statement has to be translated into offers in the scheme-specific talks.We still have had no offer in those negotiations, where such an offer can legitimately be made. We support the TUC day of action on 30 November," added Mr Prentis, "but will be negotiating right up to then and beyond to get a fair deal for our members."

The union balloted members including nurses, teaching assistants, social workers, care assistants, paramedics, police staff, school dinner ladies, probation workers and cleaners.

The turn-out was low - with 30% in local government, 25% in health and 48% among members covered by the Civil Service scheme.

In local government, the votes were: Yes 171,428, No 54,500 - 76% in favour. In health, the figures were: Yes 73,930, No 15,753 - 82% in favour. The civil service scheme ballot saw an 87% Yes vote.

Seven separate ballots were held for the Local Government Pension Scheme in England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, the NHS Pension Scheme in England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland and the Civil Service Pension Scheme.

The official result of each ballot, provided by Electoral Reform Services, can be seen by clicking on the link below: http://www.unison.org.uk/news/news_view.asp?did=7342

Orthoptists Support Day of Action for Pensions – But No Strike Ballot Planned

Fri, 14 Oct 2011 13:04:53 GMT

Orthoptists Support Day of Action for Pensions – But No Strike Ballot Planned

BOS TU Council made the decision on 11^thOctober that they would not be balloting members about strike action over pensions. However, they made clear their support for the planned day of action over public service pensions on November 30^th and will issue guidelines for members who want to show their support.

The BOS TU Council are in support of the day of action in November, called by public sector unions, but decided it was not appropriate for the Society to ballot its own members on industrial action at the present time. This was due to a number of factors, but particularly because members were surveyed in August about strike action and over 75% of members rejected the idea.

Members were also asked about their propensity to work to rule and seven in ten were in favour of this method of protest.

The BOS TU's position is in-line with the positions from the Royal College of Nursing, Royal College of Midwives and the British Medical Association, for whom strike action is a step too far at this time. All of these bodies are not balloting members but are in support of the day of action.

This was what some members said in the 251 verbatim comments collected from the survey (55 of these were pro strike action and 196 were against):

"We need to be very careful and ensure duty of care prevails. In principle, I agree with the reasons for striking, but feel my patients must come first. All sectors are having difficulty in the current climate and we can't all strike."
"I do not agree with strike action. I would work to rule and any goodwill left in the health service will disappear. Staff have put themselves out for far too long."
"Working to rule would demonstrate how much extra responsibility/work staff currently undertake...Pension changes will already represent a pay cut on top of pay freezes in a climate of high inflation."
"I do not agree with striking in the current climate and would hope that a satisfactory outcome would be reached through negotiation and low level industrial action in the form of work to rule - to minimise the impact on patients."

BOS TU Council chair Lesley-Anne Baxter said: ‘We are only too aware of the strong feelings of our membership on the topic of pensions and the way in which the government is attempting to bring about fundamental change to our pensions without sincere negotiation or debate. Everyone in the NHS including orthoptists, will be expected to work longer, pay higher monthly contributions, and yet, almost certainly receive a considerably lower pension.

The BOS dessiminates information regularly on pensions on the members' website and in the monthly newsletter, Parallel Vision. We will continue to do this and also offer guidelines for supporting colleagues on the 30^th November. We reserve the right to ballot members later on in the year should there be another day of action in early 2012. "

Guidelines for BOS TU Members who wish to support the day of action on 30^th November will be issued shortly.

Anita McCallum

BIOS Business Manager

Tel 01353 665541

Informatics – Get With IT or Start Losing Orthoptic Services

Tue, 20 Sep 2011 18:31:00 GMT

Informatics – Get With ITor Start Losing Orthoptic Services

“Good practice is no longer enough; services need to provide detailed information: to referrers and commissioners.”

Informatics may sound like something deeply unappealing or a topic you would want to avoid at all costs, but it's actually the way that the NHS is talking about technology, data and information these days – particularly in relation to commissioners/referrers and patients.

In a workshop we attended on 14^thSeptember and chaired by Karen Middleton, NHS Chief Allied Health Professions Officer (pictured above), she opened the session by calling Allied Health Professionals “luddites” in their approach to IT, data and all-round lack of understanding of how important it is to get up to speed with the topic.

Laying down the gauntlet, Ms Middleton did admit that she had been a skeptic until quite recently about the area. But she did an analysis of how many allied health professional services were listed on Choose and Book systems and was horrified at how few there were. She was also dismayed about the lack of up to date listings on the NHS Choices website, where many patients will get their knowledge about how well services are delivered by particular departments in NHS Trusts or Independent Providers offering free NHS services.

The day was a real eye opener for us (no pun intended!) and it covered:

How we provide patients with information about our services? (e.g. NHS Choices)
How referrers choose AHP services (e.g. Choose and Book system)
What information commissioners need to purchase our services (e.g. Community Information Data Set or CIDS)
How the impact of our services is recognised and coded in a standardised way (SNOMED coding of AHP problems, goals, interventions, and outcomes)
What technological means we are using to assist our efficiency (e.g. use of mobile and remote applications – e.g. texting patients the day before appointments to reduce DNAs)

One action we can all take is to make sure that your Trust and department is listed in NHS Choices; this data is then automatically linked to the Choose and Book system which GPs use as their main tool when selecting patient services. We will provide more guidance and also we will cover at the Managers Forum on 13^thOctober 2011

Lesley-Anne Baxter, Chair, BIOS

Anita McCallum, Business Manager, BIOS

PENSIONS DEBATE - NO JOY FOR NHS WORKERS, WARNS TUC & NEW STUDY REVEALS PAY CUTS PREFERABLE TO PENSION CUTS

Fri, 05 Aug 2011 14:17:52 GMT

Many organisations are working on this issue on your behalf including the TUC and NHS Employers.

This week saw a statement from the TUC on where it stood on the pensions debate - see full response here: pensions final statementFINALJuly 28_2011.pdf

http://www.hm-treasury.gov.uk/d/letter_cst_to_tuc_180711.pdf

Commenting on the announcement from the Treasury (above) concerning proposed increases in public sector pension contributions, TUC General Secretary Brendan Barber said: "Today's consultation documents reveal exactly what kind of increases could soon be hitting millions of public sector workers, when they are already in the middle of a pay freeze and facing a huge squeeze on their living standards.

The proposed increases, along with other changes the government wants to make to public sector pensions, present the individual schemes talks with a hugely difficult agenda to address over the summer."

NHS Employers said the following: "The Government's announcement confirms that separate scheme-specific consultations will lead to proposals being made by the end of October, on how these savings are to be achieved based on these principles.

They also establish that there should be no increase in member contributions for those earning under £15,000 and no more than a 1.5 per cent increase in total (before tax relief) by 2014-15 for those earning up to £21,000.

The total increase will also be capped at 6 per cent (before tax relief) by 2014-15 for the highest earners. This amounts to a 2.4 per cent cap (before tax relief) in 2012-13 on a pro-rata basis." Read the full analysis here http://www.nhsemployers.org/PayAndContracts/NHSPensionSchemeReview/IncreasedEmployeeContributionsForNHSPensionScheme/Pages/IncreasedEmployeeContributionsForNHSPensionScheme.aspx

With the future of public sector pensions threatened by Government reform, over four in ten (44.9%) of all public sector workers said that they would rather their pay were cut than their pension. In advance of last month's strikes, over half (53.8%) said that they firmly believed that their benefits were worth striking over. These findings are in a new study released on 5th August by Badenoch & Clark,and it seems that public sector workers are "desperately" holding onto their pension packages in the face of ever-decreasing morale levels.

Read the full article here:

http://www.hrmagazine.co.uk/hro/news/1019902/cut-pay-pensions-public-sector-employees

ANY QUALIFIED PROVIDER GUIDANCE LAUNCHED

Wed, 20 Jul 2011 02:58:04 GMT

The Department of Health has published operational guidance to the NHS setting out plans to deliver the Government’s commitment to extending patient choice of provider. The full guidance can be accessed via this link:

http://www.dh.gov.uk/en/Publicationsandstatistics/Publications/PublicationsPolicyAndGuidance/DH_128455

The guidance has taken into account the relevant issues raised in response to the consultation, and the NHS so-called Listening Exercise. The Government's response to comments received on extending patient choice of provider (any qualified provider - AQP) has also been published. A fuller response covering all of the remaining issues and questions in the consultation document will follow later this year.

Patient choice through the ‘any qualified provider’ scheme will be extended in a more phased way and will start in April 2012. To ensure competition is based on quality not price, the choice of qualified provider will be limited to services covered by local or national tariffs. Initially, the scheme will be extended to services where patients say they want more choice, such as community services.

The Department also conceded there was activity where any qualified provider would never be practical or in patients’ interests, including accident and emergency and critical care. New pathway tariffs would also be developed to encourage more integrated care.

It agreed with the Future Forum that it should introduce more safeguards against "cherry picking" of profitable cases as this could undermine services. As well as the development of currencies and limitations on the any qualified provider scheme, it will introduce additional safeguards:

Introduce a duty on Monitor – when setting the tariff – to ensure providers are paid fairly, taking into account the complexity of their cases (see box)
Work with the Royal Colleges to identify procedures most at risk of cherry picking and ensure fair prices are set for these procedures from 2013/14
Require commissioners to adopt best-value principles when tendering for non-tariff services, rather than simply choosing the lowest price
Oblige commissioners to make public any variations to national tariff prices.

How will it affect orthoptists in clinical practice? Well, providers will have to qualify and register to provide services via an assurance process that tests fitness to offer NHS-funded services. Referring clinicians (GPs?) will offer patients a choice of qualified providers for the service being referred to - eye healthcare and treatments.

BOS response to AQP
AQP-BOSMember Briefing AUG2011.pdf
This will temporarily extend the role of the SHAs who will oversee the development of patient choice of AQP by PCT clusters and clinical commissioning groups. SHAs must also assess the suitability of alternative services to those on the national list.

Anita McCallum
BIOS Business Manager

BIOS AT UK VISION STRATEGY - NHS ALLIANCE CHIEF LAUNCHES NEW EYE CARE COMMISSIONING GUIDANCE

Tue, 21 Jun 2011 18:45:17 GMT

The UK Vision Strategy meeting was attended by Lesley-Anne Baxter, Chair BIOS and Anita McCallum, Business Manager, BIOS. There were also other BIOS members and past-honorary officers there including Lindsey Hughes, Low Vision Service Lead, from the Royal Hallamshire Hospital, Sheffield, presenting at the poster competition.

Bob Hughes, Chair of the Eye Health Alliance, talked about sight loss set to double by 2030 and although he acknowledged that there were criticisms of the current strategy, at least he said it was " a unifying start".

Lord Howe, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Quality (with responsibility for eye care) started off by saying that sight was probably the sense that people feared losing the most. He reassured the audience that the Government was committed to playing its part in improving quality of life for the visually impaired. He said that local commissioning groups would be able to commisison services with groups such a optometrists working with the QIPP Rightcare programme to make best use of resources. Lord Howe mentioned an initiative in Leicesetrshire and Rutland where the "do once and share" approach was being implemented and it is hoped that this would be rolled out nationally. Pertinent to this was the development of the Eye Health Indicator to enable professionals from different specialisms to work together effectively all with a common focus and reference point.

On a lighter note in the afternoon during a panel chaired by BBC Political Correspondent, Gary O'Donoghue, he shared an anecdote of his own experiences at an eye clinic recently and how patient records were woefully inadequate. Just wanting to get a stye removed, the health professional in the clinic wanted to give Mr O'Donoghue a full eye test. He postulated that he had been blind since birth, but the person wouldn't hear of it. In desperation he picked up a pen and stabbed himself in his artificial eye and said "Now - do you believe me!".

NHS Alliance Chief Executive, Michael Sobanja launched new eye care commissioning guidance to aid clinical commissioning groups to provide quality, cost-effective eye care services for their patients.

Speaking at the Vision UK 2011 conference Michael Sobanja said: "It is important to have patients right at the heart of eye care service commissioning. This new guidance will assist commissioners to improve quality of provision in a sustainable manner."

The BIOS is delighted that Michael Sobanja has agreed to address the BIOS Managers' Forum on October 13th in Birmingham.