SubCo Paused, But the Fight Isn’t Over

Last week’s national announcement was a huge step forward. NHS England has issued new guidance which means no new SubCos can go ahead without trade union support. This is a direct result of the collective action of NHS staff and UNISON members across the country – including here in Dorset. Your protests, postcards, meetings, and ballot for strike action have made a real difference.

But let’s be clear: the battle isn’t won yet.

The three Dorset Trusts – Dorset County Hospital, Dorset HealthCare, and University Hospitals Dorset – have not committed to dropping their SubCo plans. They’ve only paused them, because they’ve been told to by national policy. At a recent staff meeting at University Hospitals Dorset, managers even suggested they may now explore setting up a social enterprise instead. That would mean the same thing for staff – being transferred out of the NHS into a legally separate company, risking pay, pensions, and conditions.

UNISON’s Industrial Action Committee is meeting this week to discuss next steps. We’ll share updates as soon as they’re available. But one thing is clear: the Trusts are still looking for ways to push staff out of the NHS.

That means we need to keep the pressure up. Don’t be fooled by talk of “pauses” or “alternatives.” Whether they call it a SubCo, a social enterprise, or anything else – outsourcing is outsourcing.

What you can do now

• Keep talking to your colleagues and encouraging them to join UNISON.
• Stay alert for further updates from the branch.

We’ve already shown that people power works. We paused the SubCo. Now let’s make sure it’s scrapped for good.