Unison Cambridge University & Royal Papworth Hospitals

04/11/2025

30/10/2025

A tragic story, and the investigation exposed a culture of fabricating records at the mental health trust involved. This is something that, through our safe staffing forum, UNISON knows is a cultural issue in NHS trusts across the country.

The ongoing drive to improve and maintain healthcare metrics, not least, those that focus on patient “roundings”, when staffing levels do not allow the desired standard of patient care, has led to a similar culture in many UK trusts.

Our advice to members, especially in light of these findings: Make sure you document accurately. If you looked in on the patient at 1423hrs (because you were busy with other patients and couldn’t do it at 1400hrs), document that time on the records. If you completely missed a check because you were too busy, don’t put a time in, document (briefly) the reason it was missed, and escalate the staffing issues though incident reports, and to your UNISON team.

Most importantly, if a colleague or line manager ever tries to force you to fabricate patient safety records, confirm the conversation in an email, and cc your union rep (if you haven’t got one, go to joinunison.org).

If in the next month, PLEASE also report the shift via the safe staffing survey (see QR code in previous post. This takes seconds, and gives us the data to confront trusts about this issue).

UNISON’s Only Enough is Enough campaign is making a difference, but we can only do so with your help. Stand up for your right not to be scapegoated for institutional failings and for decision makers who deem your day to day working conditions as acceptable to start taking responsibility for said decisions.

Solidarity,

Dave (Branch Chair)

Nursing student Cerys Lupton-Jones died after failures in the care she was given at Park House mental health unit, which was run by Greater Manchester Mental Health NHS Foundation Trust and has since closed. The coroner at the inquest into her death pointed to a culture that enabled staff to falsify...

26/10/2025

Funded through Nationally Lottery funding through Arts Council England and Cambridge City Council Community Grant, Legacies of Windrush is a co-curated exhibition celebrating the extraordinary stories of everyday people in the Caribbean community in Cambridge.

Curated by the next generation, the Young Curators explored themes of resilience, family, joy and celebration through the exhibition. Visit the exhibition to see the lives of local people retold through the eyes of the community.

Legacies of Windrush is on until 26th January 2026.

24/10/2025

Great day today calibrating Black History Month. Thanks you to everyone who took the time to attend.

24/10/2025

This was just posted on the CUH staff page. A reminder to all our members, whether on hospital premises or not, NEVER allow anyone with a portable card reader access to your card (yes, even if they are dressed like a security guard). This is an increasingly common scam method, especially in car parks and on doorsteps.

“…[family member] pulled up at the front of the hospital in the pick up bay.
Someone in a security uniform told him you had to pay £2.50 to collect someone from there and foolishly he used his card to tap the person’s mobile card reader
They have got home to find one of their bank accounts has attempted to have all the funds withdrawn from it. Thankfully, Barclays has stopped everything other than a small transaction”

24/10/2025

Black History Month celebrations now on in the David Dunn suite. Please come by for great food and company.

21/10/2025

Dear members.

You will have seen the e-mails from UNISON Health, asking you to complete this short survey after every shift.

If you are concerned about staffing in your area, it is really important that we capture this data. Outcomes of this survey in previous years have already been sent out to UK trust leadership, feed into our union's drive to hold the government to account over the NHS, and has already been invaluable in demonstrating the reality of NHS trust staffing issues, allowing us to push-back in casework, when attepmts are made to blame our members for the many issues caused by the normalisation of unsafe staffing levels.

Please complete this after every shift. It takes seconds, and it DOES make a difference.

Thank you.

Dave (Branch Chair)

10/10/2025

Exclusive: Royal College of Nursing says plan to tighten rules for foreign workers is ‘pandering’ to Reform UK

30/09/2025

UNISON Welfare – There for You Seasonal Food Fund 2025 opens at 12 noon on Tuesday 30 September 2025 for 24 hours. Applications before or after this timeframe will not be accepted.

If you’re a UNISON member on a low income (see below), you can apply for a £30 voucher per qualifying person in your household towards the cost of food. You can apply for a voucher for yourself, your partner and your dependent children.
All applications should be made online. Applications will open for 24 hours from 12 noon on Tuesday 30 September. Eligible members will be chosen at random from the applicant pool and contacted to submit supporting documents. Due to limited funds and in anticipation of high demand, we regret that we will not be able to help all members who apply.

If you are unable to complete the application due to an accessibility issue, please email: SFF@unison.co.uk or call UNISONdirect on 0800 0857 857

You will be required to provide your membership number which is at the bottom emails you receive from UNISON or you can call UNISONdirect.

Eligibility - applicants must:

Be a UNISON member and have paid at least four weeks’ subscriptions as of 30 September 2025. Subscriptions must be up to date.
Not have received a grant from UNISON Welfare since 30 March 2025, excluding Step into Spring Grant
Be in receipt of Child Benefit.

And EITHER:

Be on a low income, meaning a net household income* of no more than £28,205/year (£2,350.42/month).
OR:
Be in receipt of means-tested benefits. This includes:
Universal Credit
Housing Benefit
Child and working Tax Credits
Pension Credit
Means-tested Jobseekers Allowance
Means-tested Employment Support Allowance
Income Support

* Net household income includes your monthly take-home pay from work (plus your partner’s, if you have one), any income from child maintenance payments, any income from student finance loans or bursaries, pensions (excluding Pension Credit) and any income from people living with you (e.g. adult children or lodgers).
** Where members either have no recourse to public funds and their household income is above £28,205/year an assessment will be undertaken to see whether they would be eligible for benefits if they did have recourse to public funds so that they are not disadvantaged.
Further information regarding the application process is available at https://gbr01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.unison.org.uk%2Fget-help%2Fservices-support%2Fthere-for-you%2Fseasonal-food-fund%2F%3Futm_campaign%3DSeptember%2520U-dig%25202025%26utm_content%3DMore%2520info%2520on%2520the%2520Seasonal%2520Food%2520Fund%26utm_medium%3Demail%26utm_source%3DCommunications&data=05%7C02%7Cdavidkennington.unison%40nhs.net%7C6e222be34b8c42077eb908ddff4a1978%7C37c354b285b047f5b22207b48d774ee3%7C0%7C1%7C638947415899590774%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=S%2B9nUawd2u%2Fd5p%2FwlDl12jDbq2KyfFziAftOBRRmaL4%3D&reserved=0


Amy Davies

Branch Welfare Officer

Unison – Cambridge University & Royal Papworth Hospitals Branch

UNISON Welfare – There for You Seasonal Food Fund 2025 When can I apply? This fund will open at 12 noon on Tuesday 30 September 2025 for 24 hours,

11/09/2025

From the National Health Team:

Indefinite leave to remain consultation - appeal for testimonies

The government plans to run a consultation on its proposal to extend the qualifying period for ‘indefinite leave to remain’ (ILR) from five to ten years for most visa routes later this year.

We have not been given a timeline yet - but we want to be ready to submit powerful contributions from members. The health team has put together some questions as guidance to be used by members when drafting their testimonies on the potential impact of the ILR rule change.

Could all members affected by these issues to email us on h.group@unison.co.uk with their testimonies.

09/09/2025

Do you work in the NHS in England?

Don’t let your MP stand by whilst thousands of jobs are put at risk - email them today and ask them to oppose damaging staffing cuts.
https://unsn.uk/3FFJkf7