Unions sound alarm over ‘devastating’ NHS cuts
Health unions have sounded the alarm over “drastic” and “devastating” cuts to staff and services revealed by a survey by NHS Providers, the organisation for NHS trusts in England.The survey of 114 of the organisation’s member trusts found that services are being scaled back and jobs cut as the NHS seeks to recover a predicted financial shortfall that reached nearly £7 billion this year — with trusts expected to “drastically” reduce running costs while improving performance against key targets.The survey found that:with the government’s 10-year health plan (which aims to transform health services) due to be published in the coming months, nearly half of trust leaders surveyed (47%) warned they are scaling back services to deliver tough financial plans. Virtual wards, rehabilitation centres, talking therapies and diabetes services for young people are among services identified at risk;over a third (37%) said their organisation is cutting clinical posts as they try to balance their books, with a further 40% considering this; and with trusts told to halve corporate cost growth, almost nine in 10 trust leaders (86%) said their organisation is going to have to cut posts in non-clinical teams such as HR, finance, estates, digital and communications.A number of trusts are aiming to take out 500 posts or more and one is planning to cut around 1,000 jobs.Major concernWith further reductions to temporary staffing costs (cited by 91%) and a recruitment freeze (85%) also on the cards, the impact of these changes on overstretched front-line teams is a major concern, the trusts said. Fully 94% said the steps needed to deliver financial plans would have a negative impact on staff wellbeing and culture at a time when morale, burnout and vacancies are taking their toll, and disquiet over pay and conditions is rising.The union response to the findings was instant.UNISON head of health Helga Pile warned that “ministers shouldn’t be insisting trusts balance their books while ignoring the damaging consequences for patient care and a demoralised workforce. The NHS needs more staff, not fewer workers.But unrealistic demands for efficiency savings are leaving trusts with no option but to let much-needed workers in finance, estates and planning, as well as nurses, healthcare assistants, porters and other staff go. The government should ease off and give trusts the breathing space to deliver the improvements the public and ministers want to see.”‘Catastrophic’Unite national officer for health, Richard Munn, commented: “Further spending cuts to staff or to services in the NHS would simply be catastrophic. The service is already hanging on by a thread and now government seem intent on wielding scissors.“Patients and staff will have their health and wellbeing put at risk and lives will be lost — it is that stark.”Chartered Society of Physiotherapy assistant director Sara Hazzard emphasised that: “Reducing frontline clinical roles and cutting services may help balance budgets in the short term, but the long term cost to patient care and staff wellbeing could well be devastating”.The message from Phil Banfield, chair of the BMA doctors’ union council, was similar: Patients up and down the country will be wondering how this can be possible when they see hospitals already buckling under the pressure of understaffing, A&E patients lining corridors, waiting lists that seem endless and clinical staff eternally on the verge of burnout.”
Continue reading this article about Unions sound alarm over ‘devastating’ NHS cuts
by LRDunionnews
NHS Forums - For daily discussion by NHS Staff.
Health unions have sounded the alarm over “drastic” and “devastating” cuts to staff and services revealed by a survey by NHS Providers, the organisation for NHS trusts in England.The survey of 114 of the organisation’s member trusts found that services are being scaled back and jobs cut as the NHS seeks to recover a predicted financial shortfall that reached nearly £7 billion this year — with trusts expected to “drastically” reduce running costs while improving performance against key targets.The survey found that:with the government’s 10-year health plan (which aims to transform health services) due to be published in the coming months, nearly half of trust leaders surveyed (47%) warned they are scaling back services to deliver tough financial plans. Virtual wards, rehabilitation centres, talking therapies and diabetes services for young people are among services identified at risk;over a third (37%) said their organisation is cutting clinical posts as they try to balance their books, with a further 40% considering this; and with trusts told to halve corporate cost growth, almost nine in 10 trust leaders (86%) said their organisation is going to have to cut posts in non-clinical teams such as HR, finance, estates, digital and communications.A number of trusts are aiming to take out 500 posts or more and one is planning to cut around 1,000 jobs.Major concernWith further reductions to temporary staffing costs (cited by 91%) and a recruitment freeze (85%) also on the cards, the impact of these changes on overstretched front-line teams is a major concern, the trusts said. Fully 94% said the steps needed to deliver financial plans would have a negative impact on staff wellbeing and culture at a time when morale, burnout and vacancies are taking their toll, and disquiet over pay and conditions is rising.The union response to the findings was instant.UNISON head of health Helga Pile warned that “ministers shouldn’t be insisting trusts balance their books while ignoring the damaging consequences for patient care and a demoralised workforce. The NHS needs more staff, not fewer workers.But unrealistic demands for efficiency savings are leaving trusts with no option but to let much-needed workers in finance, estates and planning, as well as nurses, healthcare assistants, porters and other staff go. The government should ease off and give trusts the breathing space to deliver the improvements the public and ministers want to see.”‘Catastrophic’Unite national officer for health, Richard Munn, commented: “Further spending cuts to staff or to services in the NHS would simply be catastrophic. The service is already hanging on by a thread and now government seem intent on wielding scissors.“Patients and staff will have their health and wellbeing put at risk and lives will be lost — it is that stark.”Chartered Society of Physiotherapy assistant director Sara Hazzard emphasised that: “Reducing frontline clinical roles and cutting services may help balance budgets in the short term, but the long term cost to patient care and staff wellbeing could well be devastating”.The message from Phil Banfield, chair of the BMA doctors’ union council, was similar: Patients up and down the country will be wondering how this can be possible when they see hospitals already buckling under the pressure of understaffing, A&E patients lining corridors, waiting lists that seem endless and clinical staff eternally on the verge of burnout.”
Continue reading this article about Unions sound alarm over ‘devastating’ NHS cuts
by LRDunionnews
NHS Forums - For daily discussion by NHS Staff.
