Welsh health board decides to ‘not progress’ plans to change rotas

Unions had objected to proposals over concerns about contracted hours

A health board in Wales has shelved controversial plans to change nursing staff rotas.

Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board (BCUHB) said it has decided to ‘not progress’ proposals to change the rotas of nurses and other staff from January next year.

The plans centred around unpaid breaks

Under the proposals, all nurses would have had a one-hour unpaid break if they were working a 12.5-hour shift and a 30-minute unpaid break if they were working a six- or eight-hour shift.

But the proposals meant that staff would have had to work ‘occasional shifts’ to meet contracted hours as a result of unpaid breaks.

Unions voiced opposition to the rota plans

Health unions had called on the board to halt the proposed changes until further discussions had taken place, and a Unite online petition opposing the plans received more than 4,500 signatures.

• RELATED: Unions criticise Welsh health board’s plan to change rotas

BCUHB chief executive Gary Doherty said in a statement: ‘We welcome the joint communication from Unison, RCN and Unite.

‘We are absolutely committed to working together with our trades union partners.

‘While we focus on our partnership working and how to move forward together, we will not progress the proposed changes.’

Unite in Wales sounds a note of caution about the announcement

Unite regional secretary for Wales Peter Hughes welcomed the statement but said: ‘What we certainly will not accept is any further attempt to bring forward changes to staff rosters under another guise.’

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