Midlands

Find out more about the Midlands SPF

Areas of Focus for 2026/27

Maintaining positive partnership relationships at local, system and regional levels, particularly in the context of workforce reductions, financial pressures, and employee relations challenges.
Influencing the evolving policy landscape, including NHS structural changes and the development of the 10-year health plan.
Improving staff experience in line with NHS staff standards, with a focus on managing employee relations casework, promoting health and wellbeing to reduce sickness absence, supporting flexible working, and addressing violence, aggression, and sexual harassment at work.
Promoting equality, diversity, and inclusion (EDI), enabling staff to bring their full selves to work, supporting anti-racist practice, and addressing workplace discrimination, including implications of the UK Supreme Court judgment in For Women Scotland vs The Scottish Ministers.
Understanding and integrating new ways of working into the workforce, including the use of artificial intelligence (AI) and the development of new roles such as physician associates and nursing associates.
Discussing job evaluation, sharing good practice and providing a partnership contribution to regular data collection exercises.

The Midlands and East of England SPFs held their annual partnership conference on 3 December 2025, bringing together trade union colleagues, HR professionals and SPF members from across the region. The conference focused on how partnership working can support the NHS 10 Year Health Plan, with delegates exploring new approaches, sharing good practice, and considering how best to support the regional workforce.
Agreed a statement of intent on responding to announced NHS infrastructure changes and workforce reductions, and finalised and published its new principles for supportive and aligned regional and system partnership working.
Continued to maintain meaningful engagement with NHS Employers and NHS England colleagues on core priority focus areas, including the Long Term Workforce Plan and the NHS People Promise.
Agreed and drafted principles for implementation of job evaluation in partnership, in relation to the nursing and midwifery profile changes, that is aligned with national policy and the Agenda for Change handbook.

Read the key principles developed by the Midlands SPF to support system-level partnership working and alignment with the regional SPF.

The Midlands SPF co-chairs include representation from both former Midlands regions:

Trade union co-chair - Nadeem Samari, Regional Organiser, UNISON
Trade union co-chair - Oliver Hopkins, Regional Organiser, UNISON
Trade union co-chair - Chanel Camilleri-Willis, Regional Organiser, UNISON
Management co-chair - Ali Koeltgen, Chief People Officer, Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust (West Midlands)
Management co-chair - Lorna Lord, Deputy Chief People Officer, Nottinghamshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust (East Midlands)