\n He said: \u201cLots of the HCAs at Bolton Hospital<\/a> are Band Two but they’re expected to do Band Three duties and they’re not paid for it, that’s not been recognised for a long time.\n<\/p>\n \n \u201cAcross the North West there’s about 17 trusts that we’ve ran this campaign in and it’s been successful.\n<\/p>\n \n \u201cWe’ve recently just signed with Lancashire Teaching Hospitals to agree to back pay since 2018 and that all HCAs at Band 2 would be upgraded to the top of Band 3 because ultimately that’s the job that they’re doing.\n<\/p>\n \n \u201cIf they’re expected to do it then they should be paid to do it, it’s only fair.\u201d\n<\/p>\n \n Mr Quick warned that while staff had chosen to protest rather than strike, further action could follow if an agreement cannot be reached.\n<\/p>\n \n He added: \u201cThey have to agree to it, otherwise the potential is that this escalates, which we don’t want to do, but it might escalate which would include industrial action.\u201d\n<\/p>\n \n Staff gathered in their uniforms as they came out on breaks, while others came to the hospital in their non-working hours to join the march.\n<\/p>\n \n Healthcare Assistant Kiana Ogunewu-Symonds said she joined the protest because she believes HCAs are not being fairly recognised for the work they do.\n<\/p>\n \n \n She said: \u201cI’ve decided to come out because I feel like we’re not treated fairly in terms of our job role and the pay.\n<\/p>\n \n \u201cWe are the closest to the patients that need us the most.\n<\/p>\n \n \u201cSome of these patients are dying, some of these are in a very vulnerable position and we are the ones, the HCAs, that are closest, that do the personal care, that do the feeds, that need to look after these patients.\n<\/p>\n \n \u201cThis is why I’m here today, to fight not only for me, but for the patients to get the best care that they are able to get.\u201d\n<\/p>\nKiana Ogunewu-Symonds (middle) said she joined the protest to demand better pay (Image: NQ)\n<\/p>\n