HUNDREDS of healthcare workers employed by Blackpool Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust have suspended a walkout planned for next week in a row over unpaid wages, says UNISON today, 15 October 2025.
 
A 73-hour strike was due to begin at 7am on Monday, 20 October 2025 at Blackpool Victoria, Clifton and Fleetwood hospitals.
 
The workers had been carrying out tasks – such as taking blood, performing electrocardiogram tests and inserting cannulas – that should have been paid at a higher hourly rate.
 
Before a previous 48-hour walkout in September, the trust accepted the healthcare assistants were performing extra duties above their role and agreed to provide them with back pay.
 
To avert Monday’s strike action, the trust has now agreed to drop plans to withhold some of the money owed to staff.
 
Following UNISON's campaign, the 700 workers will now work at a higher pay band, and the union estimates they will be awarded more than £6m in back pay.
 
UNISON North West regional organiser Sam Doherty said:- “This is an amazing victory for the healthcare assistants in Blackpool, putting millions of pounds into the pockets of some of Blackpool’s lowest-paid NHS workers. Despite the trust’s initial refusal to pay them what they were owed, the staff stood together, took strike action and won. This is a huge victory, but the campaign won’t end until we’ve ironed out the final details. The trust needs to guarantee everybody is included and that deal is implemented fairly and swiftly.”