Nick Child

HCSA Strategic National Organiser

Our newly appointed Strategic National Organiser talks about how we are defining a new future for HCSA – the hospital doctors’ union with our strategic plan for organising.

My career working for trade unions was certainly a case of “life happens when you are making other plans.” As a former baker (and union rep at the time) I was looking for a change.

That came about in my first role working at Unison, the public services union, 20 years ago. This was my first experience working with healthcare professionals. Fast forward to today, having undertaken organising and officer roles in several trade unions – the Transport Salaried Staffs Association, the Royal College of Midwives and more recently the Royal College of Nursing – I am excited and very pleased to bring my career experience to our union to be a part of our new beginnings.

HCSA – the hospitals doctors’ union have a proud history dating from the conception of the NHS. The working world has changed significantly in that time and currently the NHS and independent health sector are overwhelmed with unprecedented challenges for all disciplines of healthcare professionals.

The union is only as strong as its members, and as a small specialist union and association for hospital doctors we have a unique professional focus and a great opportunity to influence positive change for doctors at every stage of their career.

Our new approach to becoming an “organising union” starts with internal change and a different approach to how you, our members, engage with the union and colleagues in your profession.

Internal change is happening as I speak, with our 2025 elections giving you have a key part to play in electing our new leadership. As I settle into my new role I want to involve you, our members, at every step of the journey in defining our Strategy for Organising and Growth.

Very soon, I hope to get out and about to walk the wards with our national officers, newly elected leaders and our activists in their patches to talk with you, our members and your colleagues about our positive new direction and how you can be part of it.

I am really interested to hear from any of our members who have previously been involved in our union or who may have considered being more active. As hospital doctors at various stages of your career there are many challenges you face and by galvanising as a collective professional group you can bring about change for the better.

As a small union, HCSA already punches well above our weight and going forward let’s use that to grow and make the voice of hospital doctors ever stronger.

If you wish to know more about the way ahead and how to get involved, do contact your national officer or me via the details on our Key People page.

Nick Child is HCSA's Strategic National Organiser.