We are delighted to announce that all eight motions put to our membership following the Extraordinary General Meeting on 23rd December have been passed with overwhelming support. This historic vote demonstrates the strength, unity, and determination of our profession in the face of unprecedented challenges.
The Motions That Carried
Our members voted decisively to:
- Prioritise Wave 1 and 2 group action claims, as well as the judicial review against the Secretary of State, Professor Leng, and NHS England.
- Call on all associates and graduates to support the union financially or through volunteering, and commit to rapid colleague recruitment
- Provide legal support through collective association to members facing financial constraints due to redundancy or dismissal
- Facilitate recognition templates and request formal recognition from employers to protect against further job losses
- Undertake consultation on member preferences for role titles, including potential temporary alternatives
- Raise a one-off special levy of £45 per member to clear outstanding legal/disbursement fees
- Create a monthly legal fund payment of up to £17 per member to fund ongoing critical legal action
- Mandate appointment of local representatives in all Trusts and PCN localities
A Mandate for Action
The passage of these motions represents more than just procedural formality: it is a resounding declaration that medical associate professionals will not stand idly by while our profession is dismantled through flawed guidance and unlawful protectionism. Your votes have secured the financial foundation necessary to protect our critical legal challenges, including our judicial review, which will safeguard the future of our profession.
Make no mistake: these are cases we can win. Our legal team – comprising some of the most experienced solicitors and barristers in the country – has repeatedly affirmed the strength of our arguments. The evidence is compelling, the law is on our side, and the procedural flaws in the Leng Review’s implementation are undeniable. From the shocking failure to assess patient impact, to the unlawful imposition of title changes, to recommendations that exceeded the review’s remit – our challenges rest on solid legal ground.
Already Making a Difference
The impact of our legal action is already visible. We have seen a softening of positions from key stakeholders, employers pausing destructive changes pending the outcome of proceedings, and a willingness to open dialogue where previously there was only dismissal. Our intervention has stemmed what could have been a catastrophic tide of job losses, with analytics showing that our press releases and legal challenges materially decreased the trajectory of redundancies post-Leng.
This year alone, we have saved associate jobs worth over £5 million in annual wages. Behind these statistics are real people – your colleagues, your friends, perhaps even you – who retained their livelihoods because UMAPs stood beside them. But we cannot rest on these achievements. With approximately 290 active disputes currently open and demand continuing to rise following the Royal College of Anaesthetists and Royal College of Emergency Medicine guidance, the fight is far from over.
The Power of Collective Action
Your approval of the £45 special levy and the monthly legal fund payment of up to £17 demonstrates something profound: when medical associates stand together, we are formidable. These contributions, spread across our membership, transform what would be an insurmountable burden for the few into a manageable commitment for the many. Every member paying a small amount creates the collective power to challenge even the most well-resourced institutions.
The confidence you have shown in directing the NEC to pursue formal recognition at workplaces, to consult on role title preferences, and to build robust representative networks sends a clear message: we will not be divided, diminished, or deterred. You have also affirmed that legal support must be provided to those members who face financial hardship due to redundancy or dismissal – ensuring that access to justice is not determined by personal circumstance but by collective solidarity.
A Call to Our Colleagues
To those Medical Associate Professionals not yet members of UMAPs: we need you. The strength of our legal challenges grows with every new member who joins our cause. The sustainability of our funding improves with each additional subscription. The credibility of our claim to represent this profession deepens when we can demonstrate broader support.
Consider what is at stake. Since the BMA started its smear campaign, and restrictive scopes of practice were published without medical justification, approximately 1,000 FTE associates have been lost from GP practice alone. Patients have lost 7.2 million appointments. One in three of our members has required representation for employment issues in the last year: a 675% increase in employment disputes. The wellbeing statistics from our membership are nothing short of alarming, reflecting the visceral damage inflicted upon our profession.
This is your fight. Whether you are a newly qualified graduate facing a hostile job market, an experienced clinician watching your scope of practice eroded, or someone fortunate enough not yet to have been directly affected, the trajectory is clear. Without successful legal challenges to the unlawful implementation of Leng’s recommendations, the medical associate professions as we know them face extinction.
Looking Forward with Hope
With your support secured through these motions, we look to 2026 with renewed determination. Preliminary hearings are scheduled for February, with main hearings anticipated from July onwards. We are confident in our legal position, supported by exceptional counsel, and united in purpose.
We’re not just fighting for our jobs. We are fighting for the rights of patients to access quality care. We are fighting that NHS policy must be evidence-based and lawfully implemented. And we are fighting for the principle that associates be ‘talked with’ and not ‘talked at’ when it comes to our future.
Join us. Support us. Stand with us. Together, we will create a brighter future for all associates.
To join UMAPs or to learn more about how you can support our vital work, visit our membership page today.
