Staff staging longest NHS strike to get one-off payment

Specialist health workers taking part in the longest strike in NHS history are being given a discretionary one-off payment, health chiefs say.

A total of 37 phlebotomists, who specialise in drawing blood, walked out of Gloucestershire Royal and Cheltenham General hospitals in March 2025, more than 300 days ago, over a pay dispute.

Caroline Hayhurst, a striking phlebotomist, said: "We walked out on March 17 last year determined that we would stand our ground and receive proper pay for a job we love."

Kevin McNamara, the hospitals' chief executive, said the trust had made an offer of a new "higher-banded" role and the union is balloting on whether to accept this week.

Phlebotomists, some of whom rallied outside Shire Hall during Gloucestershire County Council's health overview and scrutiny committee meeting on Tuesday, are classed as Band 2.

But Unison claims that is not enough for the responsibilities of their role, the Local Democracy Reporting Service reports.

Previously, McNamara said the national campaign to move healthcare support workers from Band 2 to Band 3 did not include phlebotomists.

Hayhurst said the phlebotomists had been made offers and hoped the dispute will end soon.

"The offers unfortunately are all about denying us the right to continue working as phlebotomists and pushing us into health care support roles," she said.

"What started out as a fight for fair pay has now evolved into a fight for our jobs. But we are still standing firm."

At the meeting on Tuesday, McNamara said two offers had been made to phlebotomists.

"One of those is that we jointly with Unison commission a national independent panel to review the job role and determine whether it is a Band 2 or Band 3," he said.

Explaining the new role offered, McNamara said it was a phlebotomy outpatient healthcare support worker role at a Band 3.

McNamara said those with more than two years' service would be moved to the top of a Band 3 salary.

Band 2 wages is about £24,465 and wages at the top of Band 3 is about £26,598, Mr McNamara added.

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