Unite has responded to the Minister’s comments on the CCU review.

A statement from Unite follows below:

Unite notes the Minister’s statement to Parliament regarding the Critical Care Unit (CCU) review and  believes it is important to clarify a number of points which, in our view, do not accurately reflect  either the circumstances that led to the review or the experience of the staff involved. 

Firstly, it is important to make clear that the independent review did not arise in isolation. It  followed a formal grievance submitted by several staff working within the CCU under the GHA’s  Speak Up Policy, which was subsequently upheld. It was against that background that the then  Director General, in consultation with Unite, commissioned an independent review to examine both  the concerns that had been raised and the organisation’s handling of them. 

In her statement to Parliament, the Minister indicated that no members of staff had officially  requested transfers or resigned as a result of the issues within the department. That does not reflect  Unite’s understanding of the events, nor the experience reported to us by those individuals who  ultimately transferred or left the department, or those who felt they had no realistic alternative but  to consider resignation as a consequence of the circumstances that existed at the time. 

Furthermore, there remain members of staff who had envisaged spending the remainder of their  careers within the CCU but who have since felt compelled to apply for posts elsewhere within the  hospital because they no longer believe they can continue working within the department under the  prevailing circumstances. Those concerns were escalated through the appropriate management  channels. While those concerns were acknowledged, staff were left with the clear perception that  insufficient meaningful action followed and that no satisfactory resolution was achieved. 

Since the review was commissioned, Unite has met regularly with the GHA Workforce Department  to discuss progress. While regular meetings have taken place, consultation must be accompanied by  demonstrable progress. Despite our continued engagement and repeated requests for  implementation plans, timelines and evidence of change, we have yet to be presented with  definitive evidence that most of the actions discussed have translated into meaningful organisational  improvements. The updates provided remain largely aspirational, with few measurable outcomes or  defined delivery dates, making it increasingly difficult to reassure our members that meaningful  change is taking place. 

Throughout the process, it became apparent that there were shortcomings in the organisation’s  approach to workplace investigations. Individuals who were expected to undertake workplace  investigations were subsequently criticised for deficiencies in the investigative process, despite  never having received formal training to undertake that responsibility. 

This issue was discussed at the meeting held on 18 November 2025, where it was agreed that  appropriate training for senior staff responsible for undertaking investigations would be  implemented. Unite has continued to raise this matter, including at our most recent meeting. 

However, we have yet to see any tangible evidence that this commitment has been acted upon, nor  have we been provided with a clear implementation plan or meaningful timetable for its delivery. 

This also raises a wider concern as to whether workplace investigations can be considered  sufficiently robust and consistent. 

Ultimately, appropriate training is fundamental to ensuring confidence in the integrity of the  investigative process and to protecting everyone involved. 

Unite is particularly concerned by the apparent change in position regarding the matters agreed at  the meeting held on 18 November 2025. At a meeting held on that date between the Minister,  senior GHA representatives and Unite, it was recognised that a number of staff had already  transferred, or were actively seeking to leave the department, because they believed there had been  no meaningful resolution to the concerns they had raised. 

Against that backdrop, it was agreed that those matters which could appropriately be shared would  be communicated to the complainants and more broadly across the organisation. The purpose of  doing so was to demonstrate that concerns raised in good faith leading to meaningful organisational  learning and improvement, while reinforcing confidence in the GHA’s Speak Up Policy and  encouraging staff to raise concerns without fear of detriment. 

Unite has not yet seen that commitment delivered in the manner discussed. Unite has neither been  consulted nor informed of the reasons for this apparent change in approach, despite the matter  having been raised repeatedly at subsequent meetings. 

Unite wishes to make clear that its objective is not to apportion blame or undermine the review  process, but to ensure that the issues raised by staff are properly acknowledged, that lessons are  genuinely learned, and that any agreed actions are implemented transparently and within a clear  timeframe. Staff must have confidence that when concerns are raised through the appropriate  channels, those concerns are taken seriously and lead to meaningful organisational improvement. 

Unite remains committed to engaging constructively with the GHA and Government and recognises  that meaningful organisational change is best achieved through dialogue and collaboration.  However, that engagement cannot take place against a backdrop of public statements which, in our  view, do not accurately reflect the circumstances as understood by Unite or the experience reported  to us by our members. If confidence is to be restored, it is essential that the public narrative is  accurate, that commitments previously made are delivered, and that demonstrable progress is  evidenced through meaningful action rather than assurances alone.