Proposed change to Birmingham branch boundary

Published: 13 June 2012

The RCN is consulting members employed by Birmingham Children's Hospital NHS Foundation Trust on a change to the branch they are affiliated to.

All RCN members are affiliated to a branch, based on where they work.

Each branch is made up of all the RCN members in a particular geographic area and is administered by an executive committee of fellow members who perform their organising roles voluntarily.

As an employer Birmingham Children's Hospital is currently located in the RCN's South Birmingham branch area.

The RCN's West Midlands Regional Board has proposed, subject to consultation with affected members, that the hospital is located in the neighbouring Birmingham West and Sandwell branch area instead.

The proposed move is for administrative reasons to redress a residual imbalance in the sizes of the two branches arising from a major reorganisation of branch boundaries in 2009. It would allow the RCN's resources in supporting and representing members to be more evenly distributed.

The change would not affect the services available to RCN members in either branch or to members employed by Birmingham Children's Hospital. Local RCN representatives at the hospital will not change.

The executive committees of both branches support the proposal.

The Board is inviting affected members to express their views before making a final decision at its meeting on Friday 13 July.

Members can send their views by email up until 4pm on Friday 6 July.