Unison has criticised the Northern Care Alliance (NCA) over its offer to end a dispute with more than 350 theatre staff, saying workers feel undervalued and are being left to work in "chronically understaffed" departments.
The union said it was "extremely disappointed" by the actions of the Trust's new interim chief executive Kevin McGee and the wider management team, as members consider whether to accept the latest offer.
Dispute over overtime and agency shifts
The dispute centres on overtime payments and the use of outside agency NHS Professionals (NHSP) to manage additional shifts for theatre staff within the Trust, which runs Salford Royal, Royal Oldham Hospital, Fairfield General Hospital and Rochdale Infirmary.
More than 350 nurses, clinical support workers and housekeepers staged strike action on October 2 and 5, bringing the total number of days staff have walked out to 11. The union claims changes to overtime arrangements mean some staff can earn less for an additional shift than they previously did, with some missing out on as much as £80 per shift.
Union response to the offer
The Trust announced a new "resolution package" on Wednesday (October 7), which includes enhanced NHSP bank rates for eligible theatre staff working additional voluntary shifts. It said the rates will be guaranteed for 12 months while the Trust works on longer-term improvements to staffing, rotas and working conditions.
But Unison North West regional organiser Kevin Dolan said the union and its members are "extremely disappointed". He said: "Theatre staff go to work every day in a department is chronically understaffed. Our members are overworked and their morale is at rock bottom. This is not safe for them or the patients they work so hard for.
"The offer that the trust has put to members does not make them feel valued. The trust has made it clear that it would prefer to spend taxpayers' money on outside agency fees, rather than pay its staff directly, as per the nationally agreed terms and conditions in their contracts."
Mr Dolan also criticised the Trust for allegedly announcing details of its offer before Unison had communicated them to members, and disputed one of the new chief executive's claims. He said: "In Mr McGee's briefing to staff he also claimed that he had 'met with theatre colleagues and their trade union to listen and understand their concerns'. This is simply untrue.
"UNISON representatives have yet to have a conversation with the new interim CEO, and the overwhelming feedback that we have had from our members in the theatre department is that he and the wider management team have actively avoided conversations with them."
Trust's response
In response, the Trust said it had invited Unison representatives to meet informally, but they had advised they were unavailable until October 27.
Gertie Nic Philib, chief people and strategy officer at NCA, said the "strong, fair and competitive" offer included "enhanced NHS Professionals bank rates for eligible theatre colleagues working additional voluntary shifts". She said: "As an example, for a colleague at the top of Band 5 working a day shift, the NHSP hourly rate would increase from £17.69 to £29.95. Over a 12-hour shift, that means pay would increase by £147, before any deductions."
Ms Nic Philib said the enhanced rates would provide "certainty and stability" while the Trust worked with theatre staff to address staffing, rota and operational pressures. She added: "We want the best for our theatre colleagues, patients and the communities we serve. We remain firmly committed to resolving this dispute through open, honest and direct discussions with our staff."
Unison said it welcomed the Trust's willingness to settle the dispute and address wider concerns about working conditions, but stressed that members would decide whether the offer was acceptable.
Wider scrutiny of the Trust
The dispute comes amid wider scrutiny of NCA. The Trust's own board reports found lengthy delays were linked with "28 deaths" and 56 issues of "severe harm", while problems diagnosing illness led to ten deaths last year.
There were also 10 "never events" recorded at the NCA across 2025 and 2026, which the NHS describes as patient safety incidents which were "wholly preventable," according to the reports.
A recent Care Quality Commission (CQC) inspection of surgical services at Salford Royal identified 12 breaches of legal regulations, including those relating to staffing, safe care and treatment, and governance. The inspection followed a Section 29A warning issued to NCA in October 2025.
Inspectors said the improvements they saw during their latest visit meant the service is considered to be complying with the notice. The CQC also found improvements, including an increase in the service's rating for caring from 'requires improvement' to 'good'.
