Coronavirus: Peterborough hospital trust ‘disappointed’ with union over outsourcing claims

The trust which run’s Peteborough City Hospital has said it is ‘disappointed’ at the timing of a union’s criticism of plans to outsource some services at hospitals.
By The Newsroom
Published 19th Mar 2020, 15:19 BST
Peterborough City HospitalPeterborough City Hospital
Peterborough City Hospital

The North West Anglia NHS Foundation Trust, which runs Peterborough City, Hinchingbrooke and Stamford and Rutland Hospitals was planning on investigating the possibility of outsourcing some services - said to include catering, logistics and accommodation.

Today Unison claimed the hospital was planning on carrying out these plans, despite the current coronavirus crisis.

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But Louise Tibbert, Director of Workforce for North West Anglia NHS Foundation Trust said: “The Trust is completely focused on managing the Covid-19 pandemic and is working actively with all trades unions and professional organisations to this end.

“It is disappointing that this issue has been raised at a time when the Trust, staff and partner organisations are all working extremely hard to ensure that our services are able to meet the challenges of Coronavirus.

“The Trust has already agreed to meet with our Unison lead to discuss any concerns they may have regarding any outsourcing plans and this meeting is set to take place in early April. Before Covid-19, the Trust was starting to look at options for delivering some services but no decisions have been made. This work will now be on a pause in any case. If and when service delivery is changed in future, any affected staff and the Trades Unions will be consulted and involved in the usual way.

“Like a lot of hospital trusts, we already outsource many of our services across our sites. Our patients and staff receive good services and we enjoy good relationships with our service providers.”

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UNISON Eastern regional organiser Jo Rust said: “It’s simply staggering that North West Anglia NHS is plotting to fragment so many of its vital services in the midst of the biggest public health crisis in generations.

“Cost-cutting firms running cleaning, catering and other hospital facilities always presents a risk to patient safety but to do it now is downright reckless.

“It’s also worrying to see that the Trust hasn’t learnt from the failed privatisation experiment at Hinchingbrooke that showed outsourcing is an unsuccessful way of delivering public services.

“NHS chiefs must abandon these dangerous plans so we can all pull together through this crisis.”

Related topics:North West Anglia NHS Foundation TrustPeterboroughUNISON