Melksham healthcare workers strike over staffing and safety

Healthcare workers from Melksham joined colleagues in strike action over concerns about staffing shortages, excessive workloads and patient safety, with a picket line outside Chippenham Community Hospital.

Staff employed by HCRG Care Group took 24-hour strike action on Wednesday 21st October, organised by UNISON.

UNISON South West regional secretary Tim Roberts said, “These are dedicated healthcare workers who want to provide safe, high-quality care, but they’re being pushed beyond their limits. Staff are deeply worried about vulnerable patients being left without the support they need.

“Impossible workloads and staffing shortages are putting enormous pressure on services. HCRG must address these concerns and recognise UNISON, so staff have a proper voice in improving services.”

Melksham MP Brian Mathew has also raised concerns about community healthcare services provided by HCRG, including staffing pressures, delays in treatment, patient safety and communication.

He met HCRG management and raised concerns with the Bath and North East Somerset, Swindon and Wiltshire Integrated Care Board (ICB) on Monday 19th October.

He said, “Some of the experiences that patients and staff have shared with me are deeply concerning. They deserve to be listened to and taken seriously.

“I have been very clear with HCRG that assurances alone are not enough. Where things are going wrong, I want to see evidence that problems have been identified, changes are being made and those changes are actually improving care for patients.”

HCRG took over the NHS contract for community services across Wiltshire, Bath and North East Somerset and Swindon in April 2025.

An HCRG spokesperson said, “When the new system was introduced in April, there were difficulties with telephone waiting times and referral processing. We acknowledged those problems, apologised to patients affected and took action to address them.

“Nearly seven months later, the service is very different. We have strengthened staffing, cleared the referral backlog and reduced average telephone waiting times to around three minutes. Referrals are now being processed within normal timescales. It would be misleading to suggest that the difficulties experienced at launch reflect how the service operates today.

“However, there will still be times when we don’t meet people’s expectations. We are sorry when this happens and encourage anyone unhappy with the service they receive to contact us. We are listening, and we want the opportunity to put things right and learn from their experiences.

“We respect our colleagues’ right to take industrial action and remain committed to listening to all our staff, whether or not they belong to a trade union. Last week’s strike ended without any disruption to patient care or treatment.”