Industrial action at GOSH: update for families and visitors

Great Ormond Street Hospital (GOSH) has been told that from 7pm on 18 January to 7am on 2 March a small number of our security team may be taking strike action.

We have plans in place to minimise any disruption for our patients and families, and don’t expect security services to be interrupted. However, there may be a picket line outside the hospital from time to time.

Like many hospitals, we buy security services from a specialist provider to meet regulatory requirements and provide staff, patients and families with a resilient service. We have taken this approach for some years and signed a three-year contract with Carlisle Security Services in August 2021.

Our security guards are employees of Carlisle Security Services, and their terms and conditions of employment are set by Carlisle. These terms and conditions differ from those of NHS employees, and this is central to the industrial action. Our security guards do a great job keeping our staff, patients and visitors safe and are a vital part of the GOSH team. We encourage a culture where people can speak up if they have concerns about their working conditions and we respect the right to protest.

While full details of the industrial action are yet to be confirmed, we will keep you updated on our website as and when we know more.

If you are worried about your visit, or need any support or further information, please contact our Patient Advice and Liaison Service (PALS) on pals@gosh.nhs.uk

For additional reference please see our news statement which relates to earlier industrial action taken on 6 to 9 December 2021.