Government Responds To Unite CCU Review Statement

The Government has replied to Unite’s statement on the CCU review.

A statement from the Government follows below:

HM Government of Gibraltar notes Unite the Union’s statement in relation to the Independent External Review into the Gibraltar Health Authority’s Critical Care Unit.  

The Government is disappointed by the tone and content of Unite’s statement, particularly given the clear joint position which was agreed between HM Government of Gibraltar and Unite the Union and published on 15 September 2025. It may be prudent for Regional Officers to consult with National Officers to ensure a consistent policy. 

That joint statement made clear that:  

“HMGoG and Unite the Union acknowledge the professionalism and rigour with which this process has been conducted and express their thanks to all those who engaged with the review, including frontline staff, management and union officials.”  

That remains the Government’s position. HMGoG is happy to sit with Unite to determine if this is still Unite’s position. 

The Government is therefore very surprised that Unite now seeks to present this matter in a way which does not properly reflect the agreed public position reached between the parties. 

The decision not to publish the Report in full was not taken by Government alone. It was not a refusal to be transparent. It was not an attempt to conceal the report. It was an agreed position between HMGoG and Unite the Union, taken for the express purpose of protecting the confidentiality of staff members.  

It is therefore not right for Unite now to imply that the Government or the GHA are withholding the Report for improper reasons, when Unite itself agreed that the full report should not be published. 

The joint statement also made clear the agreed implementation route. It stated: 

“The GHA’s Director of Workforce will now oversee the implementation of all recommendations outlined in the Report in conjunction and consultation with Unite the Union.” 

That is precisely the process which the Government expects to continue. The meeting referred to on 18th November was a meeting precisely to go through the recommendations where, from the contemporaneous minutes, senior representatives from Unite accept that they were starting to see changes, but that these changes take time to come to fruition. 

The Minister’s recent statement to Parliament was made on the basis of information provided to her by the GHA and on the basis of the actual questions posed by the Opposition. There were no whistleblowing complaints. There was a grievance procedure initiated by staff members through Unite. Whistleblowing procedures or legislation were not engaged in this instance. Further, whilst a very small number staff have since requested transfers within the Hospital, these have actually involved either promotions or positive career development opportunities for these staff. One member of staff has also since retired and no staff have resigned. Therefore Unite’s “understanding of events” is clearly misinformed. If Unite considers that there are specific cases or formal records which contradict the position set out in Parliament, then those matters should be provided to the GHA through the appropriate process so that they can be properly reviewed.  

The Government also notes Unite’s comments on implementation. It is therefore important to place on record that the GHA has already engaged extensively and directly with Unite on the implementation of the recommendations. On 24 April 2026, the GHA provided Unite with a detailed written response to Unite’s letter of 25 March 2026, addressing the progress made on all the recommendations of the review and proposing a meeting to discuss the matter further in person. This formal update contains evidence of progress on all recommendations and is far from “aspirational”. The Government has been informed that, to date, no reply has been received from Unite the Union. There has been no “change of approach from the GHA”. If Unite considers that further detail, clearer timelines or further evidence of progress is required, then it may want to begin by answering the email sent more than two months ago from the GHA to its National and Regional Officers detailing implementation progress. Despite not wishing to “undermine the review process”, Unite has done the very opposite, by not going through agreed channels of communication and ignoring the GHA’s formal communications on the matter. 

The Government would point out that the Report also contains comments and recommendations that relate to Unite’s own role and behaviour leading up to the grievance. The Government would be happy to consider releasing the report, in full, if Unite has indeed changed its position since the joint statement issued on 15th September 2025. However, the Government takes this opportunity to remind Unite of the very reasons why it was jointly decided not to publish the report. 

The Government remains committed to a safe, respectful and supportive working environment for all GHA members of staff. It remains committed to the implementation of the recommendations of the independent Review. It remains committed to working constructively with Unite where that engagement is focused on solutions, staff welfare and patient care.  

However, constructive engagement must be based on accuracy and respect for agreed positions. The Government cannot accept a public narrative which overlooks the fact that Unite was fully involved in the commissioning of the review, agreed the Terms of Reference, received the report at the same time as Government, publicly supported the recommendations, agreed the implementation process, and agreed that the report should not be published in full in order to protect staff confidentiality. 

The Minister will continue to take any genuine concern seriously. The GHA will continue to be responsible for operational and workforce matters. The Government will continue to set policy, ensure accountability and support the GHA in delivering the improvements required. 

Given Unite the Union has not replied to the GHA's progress update, the DG and the Minister will host an open Q&A session for all affected staff.