Rallies to draw attention to severe cuts and proposed job losses at the Royal Cornwall Hospitals NHS Trust will be staged across the county this week, says UNISON today (Tuesday).
The trust faces a £49m budget reduction likely to result in hundreds of jobs being cut, which will have a huge impact on services and patient care, says the union.
UNISON has planned protests at three Cornwall hospitals on Thursday to raise awareness of the scale and effect of the cuts.
In addition to the immediate job losses, there will be an ongoing impact across the entire trust’s services, says the union.
Staff who remain will be under increased pressure and their capacity to deliver high-quality care will be reduced, UNISON says.
The rallies are taking place at Treliske Hospital in Truro, West Cornwall Hospital in Penzance and at St Michael’s Hospital, Hayle.
Members of the public are invited to join staff to voice their concerns. A petition opposing the cuts has already gained more than 4,500 signatures.
UNISON South West regional organiser Charlie Woods said: “A budget cut of £49m isn’t just a number on a spreadsheet. It has serious consequences.
“Hundreds of NHS jobs are likely to go and that directly threatens safe patient care.
“Health workers at the trust are already working tirelessly to make sure people get the treatment they need, but now they’ll be expected to push themselves even further.
“Large scale job cuts will also have a huge impact on the local economy.
“The trust must stop these cuts now. One way to tackle this financial mess would be to reduce wasteful spending on private consultants and instead invest the money in employees so patients are safe.”
