Save Our Blood Service

tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-71247964816472929742012-01-23T04:19:39.651ZSave Our Blood ServiceDon't Mess with the NBSNBS SOShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10683599017065678290noreply@blogger.comBlogger531100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7124796481647292974.post-60928908857274914772009-06-15T21:05:00.002+01:002009-06-15T21:13:07.154+01:00Today in 1667 - First documented human blood transfusion

The first fully-documented human blood transfusion was administered by Dr. Jean-Baptiste Denys, eminent physician to King Louis XIV of France, on June 15, 1667. He transfused the blood of a sheep into a 15-year old boy, who recovered. Denys performed another transfusion into a labourer, who also survived. Both instances were likely due to the small amount of blood that was actually transfused

NBS SOShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10683599017065678290noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7124796481647292974.post-69283757778678361512009-06-14T22:52:00.008+01:002009-06-14T23:31:47.358+01:00World Blood Donor Day - June 14th 2009

It's World Blood Donor Day, an annual day around the globe to celebrate the amazing gift of life that blood donation and transfusion gives to thousands of people every day, and especially to promote volunteer blood donation (as opposed to paid donors), as this ensures the safest supply of blood. 'If you call them, they will come...'SpainItalyCanadaTesting a donor's blood pre-donation for

NBS SOShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10683599017065678290noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7124796481647292974.post-8018288494481180172009-06-14T22:18:00.003+01:002009-06-14T22:51:11.235+01:00Boiiiinnng! Donor services boss jumps for pastures greener

In 2008 NHS Blood & transplant took on a new Director of Blood Donation, Andy Young. Here's Andy.Andy's previous experience was as a top boss at the O2 Arena. Here's the O2 Arena.This certainly rose a few eyebrows - and sneers - among the writers of this blog. It is a worrying sign when NHSBT management think that a great candidate for a director is one from the commercial sector, with no

NBS SOShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10683599017065678290noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7124796481647292974.post-34538232446247220662009-05-17T21:23:00.003+01:002009-05-17T21:47:33.370+01:00Birmingham Processing Lab 1965 - 2009

A tribute. Thousands of lives were saved by blood products from this lab. Colleagues and hospitals will feel the loss.Please click on photos for large versionThese are the centrifuges that spun blood at high speed to separate out the different types of cells. Now they are still.This row of now-idle Compomat machines pressed the blood after it was spun to push the plasma into a separate bag from

NBS SOShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10683599017065678290noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7124796481647292974.post-84089514822830278352009-05-17T21:07:00.003+01:002009-05-17T21:22:25.052+01:00Birmingham Processing closure solidarity protest

These pictures are of the staff of Birmingham Blood Centre, from the labs and from transport, protesting to show solidarity and anger on the day that Processing was transferred down to Filton, Bristol. 3rd April 2009.Click on photos for large version

NBS SOShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10683599017065678290noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7124796481647292974.post-76857276795332977822009-04-02T23:41:00.009+01:002009-04-03T18:23:11.413+01:00Health and safety reps beat bosses' no chairs rule

The unpopular OTP ('Operational Transformation Project') working pattern imposed clunkily by NHSBT management on blood collection teams a few years ago has many flaws according to donor carer staff. One which caused great health concern, with a increasing rise in occupational health referrals, was the attempted removal of chairs for staff from donor sessions.Union health and safety reps from

NBS SOShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10683599017065678290noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7124796481647292974.post-59836054475602045202009-04-02T21:25:00.006+01:002009-04-03T01:11:19.881+01:00Union official's last minute hot air

Last week (26/03/09) the Evening Mail ran this story covering the closure of Birmingham's blood processing, quality monitoring and NAT labs. Tomorrow will be their final day.Please click for a larger readable version.Read the story online here.It is based on a press release from full time Unite officials. This blog has objections from the very first sentence which says: 'Union leaders are trying

NBS SOShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10683599017065678290noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7124796481647292974.post-68696832640985077132009-03-17T20:23:00.006Z2009-03-19T15:27:19.148ZNight shifts bad for workers' health - Supercentre runs 24 hours

It was reported in today's news that 37 women in Denmark have won the right to compensation after it was proven that working night shifts long-term was linked to them developing breast cancer.This link was suspected as long ago as 2001. Read more in a report on the research done into it here. Cancer is not the only health concern around night working. Humans are not nocturnal (we are diurnal, the

NBS SOShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10683599017065678290noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7124796481647292974.post-91962587284935593762009-03-13T16:20:00.005Z2009-03-13T16:57:29.587ZIWW Blood Service Valentine's Day of Action

On Saturday 14th February 2009 West Midlands IWW held a cavalcade to raise awareness of cuts taking place at the Birmingham blood centre this March.The IWW is a union with members working in the National Blood Service. They will be affected when the local blood processing lab shuts and transfers its work to a new centralised ‘super-centre’ in Bristol. Staff believe this is a risky plan which

NBS SOShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10683599017065678290noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7124796481647292974.post-51259532803274417882009-03-08T18:39:00.010Z2009-03-08T19:28:14.345ZGreetings on International Women's Day

To celebrate International Women's Day today this blog is posting a story that began in September 2006. 84 workers, 82 of them women, making medical equipment in Turkey went on strike for over a year, fighting against gross abuses by their employer Novamed.Following is a list of some of the abuses as alleged by the woman workers of the union: * Married woman workers are not allowed to become

NBS SOShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10683599017065678290noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7124796481647292974.post-64541055889825399072009-02-01T19:39:00.004Z2009-02-01T20:02:38.639ZIWW Valentine's Day Blood Service protest - 14th Feb 2009

On Saturday 14th February the IWW is taking a mobile protest to hospitals around the city, to inform the public and healthworkers about the looming closure of the Birmingham blood processing lab in March. This vital link in the blood supply chain is to be transferred down to Bristol under a centralisation regime, with the loss of around 70 jobs, leaving local hospitals’ blood supply at the mercy

NBS SOShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10683599017065678290noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7124796481647292974.post-69198096005275161962009-02-01T17:06:00.002Z2009-02-01T17:19:07.776ZFurious letter from Canadian blood service workers union

Last month the Nova Scotia Union of Public & Private Employees (NSUPE) sent a storming letter to the Canadian Blood Service CEO on behalf of their very frustrated members working in blood collection. Their experiences of the high pressure piled onto them as a result of poor management decisions are shared by donor carers this side of the pond.Click here to read the letter in full and the response

NBS SOShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10683599017065678290noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7124796481647292974.post-61301224049304419922008-10-14T20:08:00.004+01:002008-10-14T20:40:52.017+01:00'Midwifery Matters' Autumn '08 - article on NBS restructuring

This is an article by Morag Forbes published in the Autumn '08 issue of 'Midwifery Matters'.Restructuring of Britain’s National Blood Services:Why we should care, and what we can do!Author’s note: At first sight, this article may seem “off topic” for Midwifery Matters. I decided to write it after hearing from friends working in the blood service. While their job is different to ours, many of the

NBS SOShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10683599017065678290noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7124796481647292974.post-70978956273918395352008-10-12T22:07:00.004+01:002008-10-12T22:23:58.174+01:00Minutes from Leeds Scrutiny Committee regarding NBS strategy

Leeds Scrutiny Committee, which examines proposals for changes in public services and resources, recently held a meeting which was attended by union stewards representing the NBS staff, and management and HR representing the directors and their strategy of proposed lab closures.The Committee was extremely angry at the way that they felt that they had been left out of the consultation process

NBS SOShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10683599017065678290noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7124796481647292974.post-2795096374957576142008-10-12T21:56:00.003+01:002008-10-12T22:06:24.300+01:00Article on restructuring of US transfusion service

NY Times article about reorganisation of the Red Cross blood tranfusion service in North America. Apparently regulators have found that the transfusion service in the USA has numerous problems - one of the causes being that they are too big, and costs of re-organisation are running far in excess of what was predicted...

NBS SOShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10683599017065678290noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7124796481647292974.post-67745180797042370192008-09-24T20:31:00.005+01:002008-09-29T23:02:45.867+01:00'No-show Gisela Stuart urged to quit hospital committee'

A recent Birmingham Mail story revealed that Gisela Stuart, Labour MP for Edgbaston (location of Birmingham's blood centre), and also stakeholder governor of Birmingham University Hospital Trust, failed to turn up to any of the Trust governor meetings that were held in the last 12 months.NBS workers at the Birmingham centre were extremely unsurprised to hear about this. Some members of staff

NBS SOShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10683599017065678290noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7124796481647292974.post-39501557974708034922008-09-24T20:14:00.004+01:002008-09-24T20:25:50.803+01:00New social networking site from the Transplant Trust

The Transplant Trust has launched a new social networking site called thetxspace.com'thetxspace is for everyone connected with the world of transplantation. Clinicians - Donor families and friends - Patients - Supporters - Carers.Join the network today!'

NBS SOShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10683599017065678290noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7124796481647292974.post-41485009850437830242008-08-18T22:24:00.005+01:002008-08-18T22:31:24.160+01:00Yorkshire Evening Post - 'Fears over plans to move Leeds blood centre'

Published: 25th July 2008 By Katie BaldwinHealth ReporterCouncillors have raised concerns about plans to move services from a blood processing centre in Leeds. The NHS Blood and Transplant Service (NHSBT) wants to scale down the Seacroft centre in Leeds, a move which would affect up to 70 staff.That could mean blood processing and testing no longer took place in the city.Leeds City Council's

NBS SOShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10683599017065678290noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7124796481647292974.post-91170262370188990672008-06-26T21:48:00.006+01:002008-06-26T22:03:41.775+01:00NBS SOS benefit party - July 19th

The IWW, a union with members at the National Blood Service, is hosting a fundraising night on 19th July in London, to raise money for the campaign against service cuts.There will be a fundraising club night organised by JustDefy! for the NBS campaign in Camberwell, south london, on saturday the 19th of July from 11pm. There is a free festival on camberwell green that day too, and we are the

NBS SOShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10683599017065678290noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7124796481647292974.post-88241223874513748932008-06-13T21:43:00.005+01:002008-06-14T09:48:23.855+01:00WORLD BLOOD DONOR DAY - 14TH JUNE

Today is World Blood Donor Day, an annual event to promote and highlight the amazing and altruistic gift of life which donors give. Find out more here.This year's theme is 'Many happy returns', a title chosen to remind us that it is important for donors to give not just once, but regularly, in order to maintain safe stock levels for our hospitals. Find out about how and where you can donate near

NBS SOShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10683599017065678290noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7124796481647292974.post-1956488124039826272008-04-05T10:43:00.004+01:002008-04-09T20:26:38.929+01:00Demonstration! Watford, Friday 11th April

STOP SLASHING THE BLOOD SERVICE! Protest at the NBS bosses' HQ Friday 11th April 2008 The bosses at the National Blood Service want to close labs and slash 600 jobs in the NBS. Now they are hiding the findings of a review into whether or not this is safe to do. Join us at this protest to demand the review findings are fully revealed, before

NBS SOShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10683599017065678290noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7124796481647292974.post-72715173825032279782008-04-05T00:09:00.004+01:002008-04-05T00:15:46.342+01:00More blood on the letters page

(Birmingham Mail, April 3rd 2008)Keep on writing to your local papers about the NBS cuts, and keep sending the clippings into this blog at this address:nbs.sos[AT]gmail.com(replace [AT] with @)

NBS SOShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10683599017065678290noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7124796481647292974.post-35676741700012422092008-03-19T21:17:00.007Z2008-03-19T21:38:01.973ZBirmingham keeps the pressure on

Photos sent in of an awareness-raising street stall held last weekend in Birmingham by staff and their friends and supporters (click for large version).Keep up the good work out there - many people, including donors and recipients of blood transfusions, are still unaware of the proposed restructuring of our service. If you have any photos like this of street stalls or protests from your area then

NBS SOShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10683599017065678290noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7124796481647292974.post-38366232325112995322008-03-19T20:54:00.003Z2008-03-19T21:02:22.086ZJoint unions' statement in response to the NBS strategy review

As a result of a national staffside meeting on Monday 25th February 2008, it was voted to issue the following statement.JOINT UNIONS’ STATEMENT IN RESPONSE TO THE NBS STRATEGY REVIEWThe NBS Trade Unions receive with great caution the outcomes of the review and revision of the announced National Strategy. At this point we cannot accept the proposed wholesale closures of laboratories and with

NBS SOShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10683599017065678290noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7124796481647292974.post-44484415260605451042008-02-05T23:33:00.000Z2008-02-05T23:46:02.929ZOutcome of the Blood Service strategic review

The review of the NBS restructuring strategy is now complete and these are the outcomes.The outcry from hospitals, staff and the public at the dangerous and stupid proposals has meant that in the north and south-east, the board have been forced to scrap the idea of supercentres. One excellent victory that we can claim is that the Newcastle centre is now to remain fully open, and Sheffield also

NBS SOShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10683599017065678290noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7124796481647292974.post-44417077121638161672008-02-03T21:38:00.001Z2008-02-03T22:02:46.092ZBirmingham solidarity demo - 31st January

Here are some pictures (click for larger version) sent in of the solidarity demonstration held in support of the long-serving lifesavers of the Birmingham donor testing lab who were made 'redundant' on 31st January, as their work was shipped off to the overloaded Bristol centre. Birmingham NBS staff are proud to call you colleagues and friends.See more hereInfo coming very soon on the outcome of

NBS SOShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10683599017065678290noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7124796481647292974.post-23542112755299939572008-01-27T23:03:00.000Z2008-02-02T20:00:06.871ZCampaign update

The strategic review of the centralisation proposals is now complete, and NHSBT management will announce their intentions on February 1st.In recent weeks, city councils have added to the pressure in opposition by coming out against the plans to close local processing and testing labs. In Birmingham a petition signed by over 7000 angry local residents was handed into the leader of the council.

NBS SOShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10683599017065678290noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7124796481647292974.post-71573290699175063052007-12-14T05:10:00.000Z2008-02-03T22:06:35.508ZLiverpool city council condemns cuts programme

Liverpool City Council has just adopted the following resolution over the closure of the Liverpool Blood Centre:-"That this Council deplores the proposal to drastically reduce thenumber of regional blood centres from 12 to 3 so called super centresto serve the entire country. Council also deplores the inadequate"consultation" which has taken place over this ill advised anddamaging proposal.

NBS SOShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10683599017065678290noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7124796481647292974.post-30728969083879928282007-11-07T00:35:00.000Z2007-11-07T00:50:15.116ZAnother press cutting

(Birmingham Mail, October 31st 2007)Click on image of clipping for bigger view

NBS SOShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10683599017065678290noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7124796481647292974.post-75498147824111269842007-11-05T00:01:00.000Z2007-11-05T00:19:18.869ZNBS campaigners at NHS demo in London

Staff and supporters march together with an urgent message.Saturday 3rd November 2007

NBS SOShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10683599017065678290noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7124796481647292974.post-61112964657616528772007-11-04T23:54:00.000Z2007-11-05T00:18:52.260ZFacebook 'Save our Blood Service' group

Anyone with a Facebook account can join a group in opposition to the centralisation of blood testing and processing, and in favour of saving local labs and NBS staff's jobs. It has links to the petition and other ideas for supporters. The group currently has 662 members with more joining every week!Simply use the Facebook search facility to find 'Save Our Blood Service'.Please join it and invite

NBS SOShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10683599017065678290noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7124796481647292974.post-335819002670854872007-11-04T23:31:00.000Z2007-11-05T00:00:51.219ZStrategy review underway and everything to play for

The NBS centralisation strategy is currently undergoing review by the consultant agency McKinsey & Co. McKinsey are well-known for being the government's favourite choice of consultants in cases of NHS reorganisation (a.k.a. cuts), as this story illustrates, and boast Enron amongst their past clients...Well-prepared NBS staff reps have been meeting with McKinsey to put forward our comprehensive

NBS SOShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10683599017065678290noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7124796481647292974.post-23493114095040935712007-10-13T14:41:00.000+01:002007-11-05T00:20:20.892ZNew download: Blood Service Chat flyers

Now available - flyers for Blood Service Chat. Staff please print out, photocopy and circulate around your co-workers like a highly contagious virus...Click hereDownload link also added to the links section on the right hand side of the page.

NBS SOShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10683599017065678290noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7124796481647292974.post-83882536142346924492007-10-03T21:40:00.000+01:002007-10-03T21:53:49.009+01:00More press coverage

Nursing Times (25/09/07) ran a story on the turmoil in Donor Services following director Richard Fry's bullying of NBS staff.And a concerned member of the public helps to spread the word about NBS lab cuts via the local newspaper letters page.(Birmingham Mail, September 27th 2007)

NBS SOShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10683599017065678290noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7124796481647292974.post-12717602340639987132007-10-03T20:55:00.000+01:002007-10-03T21:33:26.672+01:00Blog updates!

Announcing some new updates and links for this blog.* Blood Service Chat is a brand new message board - for NHSBT staff, by NHSBT staff.Get to know each other, have a laugh, share problems and advice, or generally moan and rant (anonymously) about anything. Friends welcome.BSC was inspired by the massively successful Royal Mail Chat, which has helped posties build unity and communication during

NBS SOShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10683599017065678290noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7124796481647292974.post-39060153604239904152007-08-27T17:46:00.000+01:002007-10-03T20:11:14.824+01:00Management aggression to Donor Services staff

A now long-running attitude of aggression from NBS management to Donor Services staff (such as the collection teams) has recently worsened, with a letter from widely disliked DS Director Richard Fry.The letter in questionIn it he refers to a number of 'non-compliances' noted by the MHRA, a regulatory body which gives the Blood Service our licence to practise, on their last round of inspections.

NBS SOShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10683599017065678290noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7124796481647292974.post-32341932352157439662007-08-27T17:34:00.001+01:002008-03-19T21:35:01.936ZMore community support for Blood Service staff

The team from local community newsletter Brumstar and the IWW union hung a 10 foot banner outside the Birmingham blood processing and testing centre last month, to show support for the staff inside and to raise awareness amongst the passing public, including patients and healthworkers at the QE hospital on the same site.If you have more photos from around the country of demos in support of the

NBS SOShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10683599017065678290noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7124796481647292974.post-44326929555785192672007-08-27T16:57:00.001+01:002007-08-27T19:10:20.902+01:00Sheffield council supports our campaign!

We are delighted to announce that following a debate held between NBS workers and management, Sheffield City Council (Health and Community Care Scrutiny and Policy Development Board) considered their position on the centralisation plans, and have come out publicly, strongly and thoroughly condemning the strategy.The recent terrible flooding in England almost crippled Sheffield blood centre and it

NBS SOShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10683599017065678290noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7124796481647292974.post-28181884606858043592007-08-27T16:39:00.000+01:002008-02-03T22:24:34.064ZTop NBS strategy man's head rolls

NBS staff have been musing at the surprise news that Chief Executive Martin Gorham would take early retirement last month.Following almost 40 years in the NHS and nine years as Chief Executive of the National Blood Authority, and more recently NHSBT, Martin Gorham will be stepping down as Chief Executive at the end of July. Having completed the first phase of the development of NHSBT since its

NBS SOShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10683599017065678290noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7124796481647292974.post-63903442845287597542007-07-12T23:41:00.000+01:002007-08-27T17:19:34.542+01:00Management announce review of strategy!

Following the Board meeting on July 5th, which NBS union reps lobbied once again, Chairman Bill Fullager released this letter to staff on July 10th.Letter to staff Dear colleagues, As you know, NHSBT has made considerable progress in a number of areas since the NHSBT strategy was launched last November. The construction of Filton (on time and on budget), the increase in appointments for blood

NBS SOShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10683599017065678290noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7124796481647292974.post-83596771872749079552007-07-12T23:23:00.000+01:002007-07-13T02:21:09.087+01:00Petition races past the 1000 post

Our online e-petition today crossed the 1000 signatures mark and shows no sign of slowing down.If you haven't signed it yet then please do!This way to add your voiceAlthough a petition on its own has limits in terms of causing change, every name represents a person who cares about the future of the Blood Service, and is opposed to the risky and illogical threatened changes. This is great for

NBS SOShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10683599017065678290noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7124796481647292974.post-38076703528209221092007-07-05T03:19:00.000+01:002007-07-05T03:35:07.212+01:00Invitation to the NBS Board Meeting 05/07/07

The National Blood Service Board of Directors meets today (Thursday 5th July) at the Bio Products Laboratory (BPL), Dagger Lane, Elstree, Hertfordshire, WD6 3BX.You're paying for their buffet!Until recently they preferred more central meeting points but lately this venue in the hard-to-reach backwaters of the commuter belt is their favourite. Less opportunity for embarrassing scenes of angry

NBS SOShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10683599017065678290noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7124796481647292974.post-58217277812738458902007-07-05T02:39:00.000+01:002008-01-27T21:29:11.289ZAn attack on public services

The NHSBT management need encouragement to be honest about the future of the NBS as a public institution. Year by year commercialisation creeps into the Blood Service, and associated organisations like the Bio Products Laboratory. Managing Director Peter Garwood was questioned by a rep on a recent visit to a centre, on whether the NBS planned to sell off its in-house transport wing to private

NBS SOShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10683599017065678290noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7124796481647292974.post-56810111236897987832007-07-05T02:25:00.000+01:002007-10-03T19:58:30.047+01:00The plans roll into practice - worse shifts for less money!

The first stage of the strategy involves Birmingham and Southampton donor testing labs closing in December 2007 and their work transferring down to Bristol. This will be the current Southmead site as the supercentre at Filton is still mud and girders. It is madness to expect a lab already operating at full capacity to take on two extra centres' workload. The staff will suffer the brunt of the

NBS SOShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10683599017065678290noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7124796481647292974.post-43046938585506142142007-07-05T01:22:00.000+01:002007-07-05T01:38:05.943+01:00Press coverage

First up is a mention of the first redundancies to hit the NBS due to the centralisation strategy, on Friday 22nd June: (Socialist Worker, 30th June 2007)Sandra will be sadly missed in the Blood ServiceBirmingham staff marked the leaving of these colleagues with a public vigil to demonstrate that any and every job loss in the service will be remembered and felt.A topical letter to the Birmingham

NBS SOShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10683599017065678290noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7124796481647292974.post-14399276797261416162007-07-05T01:14:00.001+01:002008-03-19T21:35:57.596ZBuilding this webpage

This is a blog written by rank and file NBS workers, straight from the horse’s mouth. We want to get our side of the story across without being shouted down by management, as often happens in the media, or waiting for remote national union officers to give a watered down version of how we are feeling and what we are doing.Please help to make this an accurate and in-depth resource, by contributing

NBS SOShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10683599017065678290noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7124796481647292974.post-4979372714770700032007-07-01T19:01:00.001+01:002007-07-02T03:01:51.594+01:00Are you a union shop steward or rep in the Blood Service?

If so here is a suggestion for you. Communication between centres in different areas, and between lab staff and donor facing staff is almost non-existent. This is bad for several reasons.It can feel that we are all isolated from one another in our separate regions. The only 'contact' many of us have with each other is when photos of our protests are emailed around and properly cascaded by

NBS SOShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10683599017065678290noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7124796481647292974.post-65112741159904265532007-07-01T18:50:00.000+01:002008-01-27T21:33:30.696ZHow YOU can get involved!

Staff, supporters and union reps have constantly been working to spread the message in all ways possible about the threatened strategy and our opposition. We have written to the media, lobbied MPs both locally and at the Houses of Parliament, spoken at trade union meetings and conferences, and networked extensively with other health campaigners. Manchester staff working the mediaOne of many

NBS SOShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10683599017065678290noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7124796481647292974.post-34925496906065424302007-07-01T18:46:00.000+01:002007-07-01T20:10:15.684+01:00Open letter from staff-side to NBS management

This letter was presented to the NHSBT board of directors in early June, officially declaring the unions' intention to ballot NBS members on national industrial action against the proposed strategy.Open letter to the NHSBT boardStaff side statementWe the staff side are extremely concerned with the direction the directors and senior management are taking this organisation as a result of the

NBS SOShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10683599017065678290noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7124796481647292974.post-87584309740403324282007-07-01T17:28:00.000+01:002007-07-01T23:52:07.284+01:00The fightback campaign so far

The National Blood Service is divided into 3 geographical zones: Midlands and South West, London and South East, and Northern.NBS directors announced the strategy first in the Midlands and South West, several months ahead of the rest of the country. We feel that this was a deliberate tactic to test the waters of opposition before fully rolling it out nationally.Although unions began negotiation

NBS SOShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10683599017065678290noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7124796481647292974.post-87932812715396032122007-07-01T16:15:00.000+01:002007-07-08T22:52:21.951+01:00What are the plans - and why are they a threat?

Staff have been in industrial dispute with the NBS board of directors/management for many months now, over an unworkable reconfiguration strategy. It is proposed that all local processing and testing labs be closed, and their functions condensed into just three 'supercentres' to serve the whole of England and North Wales, in Bristol, Manchester and Colindale. The rationale for this plan is a

NBS SOShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10683599017065678290noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7124796481647292974.post-53663621718533438332007-06-26T23:52:00.000+01:002007-06-27T00:01:06.900+01:00Welcome to this blog

This blog is written and published by individual NBS staff. All opinions are the authors' own. This blog has no connections with any official organisations.It has been set up to inform the public of a side of our current story which we feel needs wider exposure. The National Blood Service is under severe attack from a restructuring strategy which staff are strongly opposed to. We want the public,

NBS SOShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10683599017065678290noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7124796481647292974.post-32068922533257170282007-06-26T23:31:00.000+01:002007-07-01T16:10:02.751+01:00So, what exactly does the Blood Service do anyway?

The National Blood Service is a vital part of the NHS. We deliver blood, blood products and tissues from our 15 blood centres for transfusion to patients anywhere in England and North Wales. We depend entirely on voluntary donations given generously by the general public.Our processing labs filter donations and split them into components including red cells (often used for operations or major

NBS SOShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10683599017065678290noreply@blogger.com0