Pathology staff across North London set to strike next week

The staff work for a private company but conduct blood, skin and tissue tests for two NHS trusts

North Middlesex University Hospital

Pathology staff at laboratories in North London are set to take strike action next week over pay and grading – “severely impacting” operations at local hospitals.

Over 800 Unite members employed by Health Services Laboratory and sister company The Doctors’ Laboratory are taking three days of strike action on Wednesday 3rd, Thursday 4th and Friday 5th September.

Staff at the HSL laboratories who conduct blood, skin and tissue tests for two NHS trusts – including Royal Free London NHS Foundation Trust – say they are “furious” over a “lack of transparency” in their grading.

The hospitals that could be affected by the strike include North Middlesex University Hospital in Edmonton, Chase Farm Hospital in Enfield, and Barnet Hospital. Whittington Hospital in Archway, run by a separate NHS trust, is also affected.

Unite claims HSL staff are often doing the work of more senior colleagues without being properly paid or doing the same job as other colleagues and being paid different rates.

The service is privatised but is a supplier to the NHS. Despite this, Unite says HSL does not adhere to NHS pay scales and staff earn less money than if they were directly employed by the NHS.

A HSL spokesperson has said it still hopes to “resolve matters constructively” to stop the strike going ahead next week.

Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said: “This is yet another example of the failure of privatisation within the NHS. A service being run for profit, that cuts corners and puts both staff and patient safety at risk by focusing on volume rather than quality.

“Our members are being short changed and a byzantine grading system means HSL are trying to get away with a race to the bottom over pay. Unite simply won’t allow such practices to continue.”

Pathology workers provide more than 70% of all diagnostics in the health service and operations across seven NHS hospitals in total could be cancelled. Accident and emergency units at these hospitals are also likely to be severely impacted by the strike.

A spokesperson for HSL said: “Unite’s decision to call a three-day strike is regrettable. We have robust contingency plans in place and we are working closely with the NHS to ensure that everyone receives the care and treatment they require. It is therefore important that anyone with a booked appointment continues to attend, unless they are contacted by the NHS.

“We continue to engage with Unite and hope to resolve matters constructively so that strike action and disruption to services can be avoided.”

Unite is also campaigning for an improvement in the terms and conditions of laboratory staff. This would include paid special leave, an increase in annual leave based on length of service, and an increase in paid sick leave.

Unite regional officer Mark Boothroyd added: “Our members at HSL are standing up for the health service and simply want the same conditions as their colleagues in the NHS. They have had enough of being exploited and underpaid.

“The NHS desperately needs more investment in staff for the benefit of patients, but instead we have a multinational company more interested in paying out millions to shareholders.”

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