Annual Members' Meeting

Annual Members' Meeting

The Annual Members Meeting (AMM) of Northern Care Alliance NHS Foundation Trust took place virtually via Microsoft Teams on Friday 28 November 2025 from 4pm-5pm.

The agenda for the Annual Members Meeting is here, the recording is available here.

For further information about this year’s Annual Members Meeting please email membership@nca.nhs.uk

Questions and Responses

Please see below questions raised for the Annual Members Meeting 2025 and the responses provided.

Question

The Trust’s unlawful Same Sex Accommodation Policy (Annex B) is under review. Seven months ago the Supreme Court clarified that ‘sex’ in the Equality Act 2010 refers to biological sex, not gender identity or sex acquired via a Gender Recognition Certificate. Have Trust staff and partners been instructed to provide single sex spaces and services e.g. wards, toilets, bathrooms, staff changing rooms etc by biological sex in accordance with the law and to avoid the reputational damage and financial outlay seen in the recent employment tribunals of Sandie Peggie vs Fife Health Board and Dr Beth Upton and ‘Darlington Nurses’ vs County Durham and Darlington NHS Trust? 

Response 

In line with the recent Supreme Court judgment clarifying that ‘sex’ under the Equality Act 2010 refers to biological sex, we are taking a number of steps to ensure compliance and mitigate any associated risks.  We are working in partnership with the NHS Greater Manchester working group to support a consistent approach across the region.  In addition to this the NCA are committed too:

• Audit of Facilities: We will be undertaking an NCA-wide audit of all changing facilities, including staff changing rooms, toilets, and bathrooms, within the next 12 weeks. This will help us identify any areas of risk and determine appropriate actions in response to the ruling.

• Staff Facilities: Staff changing rooms and other single-sex spaces will be reviewed as part of the audit to ensure they are compliant with the Equality Act and the Supreme Court ruling. Interim arrangements will be made where necessary to maintain privacy and dignity for all staff while the review is completed.

• Patient Placement: We do not currently have a separate same-sex policy, as this would not align with the Supreme Court judgment. Instead, we are following the national guidance provided by NHS England on delivering same-sex accommodation. Patients will be cared for in the most appropriate setting that meets their clinical and psychological needs. Any issues will be managed on a case-by-case basis.

• Policy Review: The Trust’s previous Same Sex Accommodation Policy (Annex B) is under review. Once NHS England updates its national guidance, we will develop a new policy to reflect those changes and ensure legal compliance.

At present, staff and partners are instructed to follow NHS England guidance, which prioritises dignity and safety. We are actively monitoring developments and will implement any necessary changes to ensure our approach remains lawful and aligned with best practice.

Question

I understand you are planning to move urgent maternity / gynaecological services from Salford to Oldham. 

1. Does that mean you will close those services at Salford entirely?
2. How will women who currently use the Salford service get to Oldham when they are in urgent need? 
3. Will staff have to move from Salford to Oldham?
4. What public consultation have you conducted about any of these issues?

Response

Salford Royal hasn’t provided maternity services since 2012, and there are no plans to move gynaecology services to Oldham. Our gynaecology team works across both sites, with Oldham colleagues currently supporting Salford due to vacancies.

A national review recommended looking at emergency on-call cover at Salford and Oldham, not planned care. No decisions have been made and if any major changes are considered, patients and colleagues will be involved and a full consultation will take place.

Question

I understand that NCA is planning many redundancies – around 200. 

1. Why are you sacking staff (whatever you call redundancies they effectively mean sacking staff) when we all desperately need as many people as possible to be providing NHS services? 
2. What staff groups will be made redundant? 
3. How will services be affected?
4. Will you commit to providing NHS services by in-house staff and not outsource services to be provided by the private sector?

Response

Redundancy 

The NCA is in the second year of a three-year plan to achieve financial balance. We’re focused on using resources wisely by improving processes and finding more efficient ways to deliver care.

Our colleagues remain our greatest strength and are central to everything we do. For every vacancy, we carefully consider whether there are opportunities to work smarter or innovate. We also offered a voluntary resignation scheme, which around 80 colleagues chose to take. Every decision is subject to a thorough quality and equality impact assessment to ensure fairness and maintain the safety and quality of patient care.

Outsourcing 

We are committed to providing high-quality NHS services. To do this effectively, we work with a range of partners who help us deliver care efficiently and ensure the best outcomes for patients. This approach supports value for money and maintains the standards of care our patients expect.