UNISON general secretary Christina McAnea and hundreds of striking health workers are urging the East Suffolk and North Essex NHS Foundation Trust to abandon its plans for a large-scale outsourcing of NHS services, the union says today (Wednesday).
Cleaners, porters and housekeepers at Colchester hospital and other community sites are walking out for a twelfth day today over the trust’s plan to move their jobs out of the NHS.
UNISON says the proposal is out of step with the government’s recent commitment to deliver the “biggest wave of insourcing of public services in a generation” and should be abandoned.
Christina recently wrote to the health secretary Wes Streeting to highlight the trust’s outsourcing move which the union says goes against the spirit of the new government’s thinking.
She will also join striking workers on the picket line today at Colchester hospital.
UNISON general secretary Christina McAnea said: “Outsourcing public services and on such a grand scale is simply wrong.
“The trust’s approach is out-of-order and clearly defies the goals of ministers to discourage outsourcing and ensure the NHS is the preferred provider of healthcare services.
“Staff have made it abundantly clear they want to stay within the NHS because that’s the best way to ensure patient needs are met and services properly delivered.
“These plans should stop immediately.”
Notes to editors:
– UNISON general secretary Christina McAnea will join striking workers at Colchester Hospital, Turner Road, Colchester, CO4 5JL (outside entrance between Lufkin Road and Hollymeade Close). Christina will be available for interviews from 10.30am.
– The walkout also affects Ipswich Hospital and a number of community facilities in Ipswich, Felixstowe and Aldeburgh.
– Staff have previously taken five days of action from 19 to 23 August, a further five days from 10 to 14 September and three days this week (Monday 16, Wednesday 18 and Friday 20 September).
– UNISON is the UK’s largest union with more than 1.3 million members providing public services in education, local government, the NHS, police service and energy. They are employed in the public, voluntary and private sectors.
Media contacts:
James Rodie M: 07904 415895 E: j.rodie@unison.co.uk
Fatima Ayad M: 07508 080383 E: f.ayad@unison.co.uk
The article Plans by Essex trust for mass outsourcing of NHS services are out of order first appeared on the UNISON National site.
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