TUESDAY 17 June 2003 @ 2:30 PM IN THE PICASSO ROOM St CLEMENTS HOSPITAL

      Present: Judith Wilson, Wendy Arbon, Ted Moore, Arthur White, Jamie Starling, Cliff Dawson, Paul Taylor, Linda Bird, Andy Willcox, Julie Harrison, Louise Tym, Pat Burgess and Annette Petty (Chair/Minutes)

      Apologies: Philip Bloyce, Ian Talbot, Georgia Murray, Ray Hill, Sandra Smith, Noel Maher, Jane Sutton, Matt Robinson, Kay Dawson

1.   Minutes of the Previous Meeting

The minutes of the previous meeting held on 20 May were agreed as a true and accurate record.

2.   Matters Arising

a)  Page 1. 3.  Annette has forwarded an evaluation questionnaire to those who attended the Disciplinary Workshop on 15 May to be returned to Geoff Reason at Bury.

b)   Page 1.4b. Arthur White has written to Ingrid Phin following the meeting he attended and has received an acknowledgement.

3.  Steward/Officer Reports

a)  Paul Taylor - Walker Close                                                                                                                                                                  Paul reported that a violent patient recently transferred from a private home into  Bungalow 5, Walker Close has been violent towards members of staff and has attacked one member of staff. Paul is filing a report on the situation and will carry out a H&S/Risk Assessment inspection on the bungalow. He has contacted the H&S Executive and is awaiting their response and will be writing to Paula Clarke. Ian has emailed Geoff and Philip regarding the situation.

A letter dated 4 June has been sent to Sam Gillings-Taylor with concerns regarding the fire escape routes at Walker Close in particular concern with regard to Bungalow 5. Since writing to all staff on 4 June regarding the car parking at Walker Close, the situation has improved.                                                                                                                                                                      Paul to contact Jo Gray and carry out a H&S inspection at St Leonard’s Hospital, Sudbury paying particular attention to the staff office.

b)  Jamie Starling - St Clements Hospital                                                                                                                                            Nothing to report apart from allowances paid to long term injured staff who are on sick leave. Payroll and Geoff Reason are aware that these allowances exist - Jamie to investigate further. 

c)   Arthur White - Patrick Stead                                                                                                                                                             There are 2 female staff members who have been asked separately to change their shift working hours, approx 5 members of staff are affected. Philip has spoken to them and they will be informed about Improving Working Lives for the Trust which is in progress.

d)   Pat Burgess - Aldeburgh                                                                                                                                                                      Pat has been nominated for Steward at Aldeburgh Hospital constituency. She is getting further information regarding a non-member who having been made redundant has recently returned to work for the trust and is having £300 deducted from her salary over a period of months, because she was on long term sick leave.  Pat was advised to get the staff member to contact the CAB. The member cancelled her subscription because she felt she didn’t have any help/support during this time, Pat to encourage her to rejoin.

e)   Ted Moore - Retired Members Secretary                                                                                                                                             Ted attended the Pensioners Seminar at Ely on 21 May, the programme included a Pensions Service talk regarding the 26 Regional Social Security Centres being set up throughout the Country since April this year. He attended the National Pensioners Convention on 4 June and is attending the National Pensioners Annual Conference being held in Blackpool 1-3 July. There is a pensions seminar being held at Lothingland on 2 July.                                                                                                                                               Frizzell in conjunction with Unison are holding a Retired Members Seminar on Savings and Investments on 5 August at 2pm, Rembrant Room, SCH. Ted is sending invitations out with his monthly newsletter at the end of June.

f)    Julie Harrison - PSU, SCH                                                                                                                                                                      No report however a request for DOCAS schedules from Payroll is in the process of being actioned. Annette to write to Roger Holt, Financial Accounts Manager at Suffolk House asking for monthly information to show name/address/location/amount deducted from salary to be sent on a regular basis which will be forwarded to Julie and other stewards.

g)   Cliff Dawson - Training Bungalow, Walker Close                                                                                                                                   No report.

h)   Linda Bird                                                                                                                                                                                              No report – car parking is improved.

i)    Wendy Arbon - Hartismere, Eye                                                                                                                                                     Wendy reported that some of the auxiliaries who are on a lower pay scale than others are trying to get re-graded to the correct scale - Philip is dealing with the matter.

j)    Andy Willcox - Sutton Ward                                                                                                                                                               Andy attended the Sub Risk Committee (attendees Ron Baker, Richard Pearman, Debbie Archer and Andy Willcox)recently at SCH, and parking particularly on the roundabout near reception is a major issue. Andy to raise at next H&S Meeting on 2 July in addition to the potentially dangerous situation domestic staff are in working on high risk wards, as they have no radios/breakaway training. Jamie has emailed Barbara Kemp no response has been received to date so he will contact Carol Clarke.

k)   Judith Wilson - Sudbury CMHT                                                                                                                                                          Judith attended the “Making a Difference, Meeting the Challenge” day on 16 June at Suffolk Showground.  It was a conference providing an opportunity for nursing and therapy staff to participate in creating a local strategy.  Annette to check why other stewards/officers were not invited and report back at the July meeting.

      Annette also to check with Sue Alison of Suffolk Carers if there is a current leaflet giving information to carers what they can expect when a family member is hospitalized. Judith reported that the leaflet has disappeared from G8 Unit at the West Suffolk.

      A Unison member at Sudbury has received a letter from the I.R. changing their tax code and consequently is having to repay £3000 payable £60 monthly out of their salary because of the lease car they have owned for the past 15 years. The matter is now resolved but it is our own responsibility that we have the correct tax code and check with our payroll/tax office to ensure we are paying the correct amount.

l)    Louise Tym - Student Nurse Mental Health - seconded to Sudbury CMHT                                                                                       Louise joined in January and works 4 days a week but based at Suffolk College, Ipswich.  She has been nominated as a Steward for the Suffolk College constituency.

4.  AOB

a)   Membership                                                                                                                                                                                            9 new joiners for May and 12 leavers due to lapsed membership.

b)   Branch Rules                                                                                                                                                                                         No comments received to date and passed as correct at May 2003.

c)   New Stewards                                                                                                                                                                                     The following were ratified as new Stewards/H&S Officers:- Louise Tym Steward for Suffolk College, Elizabeth Potter Steward for Heathfields Respite Unit Newmarket, Pat Burgess Steward Aldeburgh Hospital and Judith Wilson H&S Officer for Sudbury CMHT in addition to Women’s Welfare Officer.

d)  Trust Council                                                                                                                                                                                       Next Meeting on 17 July, 2pm, Ipswich, venue to be decided.

e)   Frizzell/Unison Pre-Retirement Seminar                                                                                                                                                To be held on 16 July, 6.45pm, Rembrant Room, SCH

f)    H&S Seminar 10/11 October Bury St Edmunds                                                                                                                                    Kay Dawson and Ray Hill to attend Annette to return form to Andrea Barker at Bury.

g)   H&S/Risk Assessment Workshop                                                                                                                                              presented by Geoff Reason on 22 July at  Cathedral Committee Room, Bury - Kay Dawson, Andy Willcox, Glyn Reynolds, Julie Cracknell, Theresa Stone, Arthur White, Noel Maher, Cliff Dawson and Ray Hill attending.

h)   Highly Commended Awarded in the Best Electronic Communication                                                                                               Suffolk Healthcare Unison Branch have won the award which will be presented with a cheque to Ray Hill on behalf of the branch who is attending National Conference this week in Brighton on Friday 20 June.                                                                                   In addition Ted Moore who produces the Retired Members Newsletter has won a special merit award, the certificate and cheque will be forwarded after conference. The award will be mentioned on Friday 20 June. Ted to include an article in his retired members newsletter.

Philip to forward this information to Martin Royal, Chief Executive and the award will be mentioned in the next Trust Newsletter.

5.   Date/time of next meeting

The next meeting will be held on Tuesday 15 July 2003, at 1.00pm, Picasso Room, St Clements Hospital.  Please forward agenda items to Annette by post/email prior to the meeting.

There being no further business the meeting closed at 3.30pm.

PLEASE NOTE TIME OF MEETING HAS CHANGED FOR 15 JULY TO 1PM!!

Sharon Hayden of Regional Membership Services will be attending the meeting to give a short presentation on team structure, services, application processing etc and concluding with a Q&A session.

Any agenda items to be forwarded to Annette Petty by no later than 14 July.