Talk to us: Engagement and listening events

Senior leaders, including executive directors, are running a series of face-to-face, Teams and drop-in sessions with affected colleagues to share information and listen to views.

Dates

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Developing our NHS-owned company - 2 September update

Last week Unison launched a ballot with its members for industrial action in relation to our proposal to develop an NHS-owned company to provide some services for Dorset County Hospital, Dorset HealthCare and University Hospitals Dorset.

While the concern some affected colleagues have expressed about this is completely understandable, we need to make sure we are really clear on the facts around this proposal. Our Chief Executives have recently written to all staff in affected services – estates, facilities management, medical engineering, procurement and sterile services – to restate some key commitments.

These are that:

• Everyone will remain on NHS pay, terms, and conditions, now and in the future. This applies to current and future staff. Colleagues in the company will get NHS sick pay.
• Everyone will have access to the NHS pension scheme, including keeping existing membership.
• The company will be 100% owned by the three NHS trusts – this is not outsourcing or privatisation.
• The contract between the trusts and the NHS company will be for 25 years rather than the usual 10, to provide a longer period of certainty. Nothing can be changed without the agreement of all three trust boards.

Talk to us: Senior leaders, including executive directors, are running a series of face-to-face, Teams and drop-in sessions with affected colleagues to share information and listen to views. These are detailed on this page and on our UHD app – please share with your teams.

We believe that bringing these services together into one company will enable us to share knowledge and best practice, improve training and career development, create more specialist roles and have a specialist leadership team. It will also allow us to use our combined buying power to make significant savings and to potentially supply new customers, like GP practices.

Update on work to develop a subsidiary company, 16 July 2025

Last week we received notification from UNISON of a trade dispute about the proposal to create the subsidiary company. This means that our three trusts must now start a resolution process in line with our policies for working with trades unions.

We have taken the decision to pause further work on the subsidiary company proposal for an initial period of four weeks (until Friday 8 August) so that we have the time and focus to do this. While the main work on the programme will temporarily stop it is important to be clear that we are not formally withdrawing the proposal.

We will keep colleagues informed as things progress.

If you have any questions or concerns in the meantime please raise them with your line manager or you can still use the ongoing Slido poll to share your views.

Siobhan Harrington
Chief Executive, UHD

Matthew Bryant
Chief Executive, DCH and DHC