Board members at Yeovil Hospital will this Wednesday vote on the fate of 350 employees set to be transferred into “Simply Serve”.
A management plan to set up a subsidiary company would outsource the workers into Simply Serve, a separate organisation.
If Board members go along with the plans the workers would lose their NHS badges by April 2018. Other NHS Trusts claim that subsidiary companies allow them to reduce their VAT payments to the Treasury. Staff pay and conditions could be reduced once they are not covered by NHS national agreements.
Senior management have refused to provide staff and UNISON representatives with the business case for the outsourcing plan. Staff, patients and others were not asked about the decision to set up a subco when management began planning in January 2017.
UNISON South West head of health Helen Eccles said:
“Board members need to consider a simple question before they vote: do they want one joined-up NHS, or fragmented healthcare and yet more layers of management?
“Hospital management are taking a leap in the dark. There has been no proper scrutiny of these plans. Evidence from other subsidiary companies is not good. Splitting the NHS up into little boxes will not improve healthcare for people in Somerset.
“The 350 staff targeted are facing an anxious Christmas and their colleagues fear they will be next. The Board should tell senior management to stop, look at the plans again, and listen to their staff.”
Further information:
- One third of staff at YDH have signed a petition coordinated by UNISON. Management have refused to let staff present this petition at the board meeting
- YDH have failed to respond to a Freedom of Information request submitted by UNISON.
- UNISON have contacted ACAS to begin conciliation, but YDH are not participating
- Get involved with UNISON’s campaign on NHS subsidiary companies
