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Health Visitor Team Leaders balloted on strike action in dispute with NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde
Members working as health visitor team leaders in Glasgow City Health and Social Care Partnership are being balloted on industrial action.
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A statutory ballot has opened this week and asks members what action, up to and including strike action, they would take in support of the on-going dispute with their employer, NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde, over failure to conduct a job evaluation.
More than two years ago the group of Health Visitor Team Leaders reviewed and updated their job description and requested a re-evaluation. Their line manager agreed to the updated job description and the request was submitted in July 2025.
However, NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde, has failed to follow the agreed Scotland wide job evaluation process and the group are still waiting for a job evaluation panel to consider their application.
The health board has requested various changes to the job description which has already been agreed by the local management team.
The joint trade unions have raised a formal trade dispute with the health board over this issue. The second in a matter of months around the organisation’s failure to follow the national process.
For some time now, the joint trade unions have been raising concerns about NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde’s approach to job evaluation, their movement away from nationally agreed processes and the inconsistencies this creates.
On the back of our previous dispute with the health board involving members working as district nurses, the national Scottish Terms and Conditions Committee issued updated guidance to all health boards on job evaluation and made clear that all boards are expected to follow the nationally agreed process.
Philip Coghill, RCN Scotland, Head of Pay, Terms and Conditions, said:
“This is yet another example of NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde believing it can operate out with nationally agreed protocols and actively supressing and demoralising frontline staff.
“The health board’s behaviour not only directly contravenes national guidance but is also unfair treatment of a group of staff who deserve to have their expertise and skills recognised.
“While we continue to meet with representatives of the health board in the hope finding a resolution, it is right that we ask our members what action they would take in support of the dispute.
“Our members have already expressed their deep dissatisfaction and anger in the way they have been treated. Taking industrial action will always been a last resort but NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde have left these health visitor team leaders with no alternative. The health board still has the opportunity to avoid strike action by respecting and following the job evaluation process.”
More than two years ago the group of Health Visitor Team Leaders reviewed and updated their job description and requested a re-evaluation. Their line manager agreed to the updated job description and the request was submitted in July 2025.
However, NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde, has failed to follow the agreed Scotland wide job evaluation process and the group are still waiting for a job evaluation panel to consider their application.
The health board has requested various changes to the job description which has already been agreed by the local management team.
The joint trade unions have raised a formal trade dispute with the health board over this issue. The second in a matter of months around the organisation’s failure to follow the national process.
For some time now, the joint trade unions have been raising concerns about NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde’s approach to job evaluation, their movement away from nationally agreed processes and the inconsistencies this creates.
On the back of our previous dispute with the health board involving members working as district nurses, the national Scottish Terms and Conditions Committee issued updated guidance to all health boards on job evaluation and made clear that all boards are expected to follow the nationally agreed process.
Philip Coghill, RCN Scotland, Head of Pay, Terms and Conditions, said:
“This is yet another example of NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde believing it can operate out with nationally agreed protocols and actively supressing and demoralising frontline staff.
“The health board’s behaviour not only directly contravenes national guidance but is also unfair treatment of a group of staff who deserve to have their expertise and skills recognised.
“While we continue to meet with representatives of the health board in the hope finding a resolution, it is right that we ask our members what action they would take in support of the dispute.
“Our members have already expressed their deep dissatisfaction and anger in the way they have been treated. Taking industrial action will always been a last resort but NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde have left these health visitor team leaders with no alternative. The health board still has the opportunity to avoid strike action by respecting and following the job evaluation process.”
