Health staff ‘not consulted on plans’
Last updated 11:44, Monday, 25 February 2008
UNION bosses say they are concerned at the lack of consultation with staff over plans to shake up health services across north Cumbria.
The Closer to Home proposals would see many services move out of acute hospitals into the community.
This includes making better use of cottage hospitals and is likely to see the roles of many staff members change.
But health union Unison says the proposals provide little detail on workforce planning and the consultation has failed to involve them.
In its official response to the Closer to Home plans, the union praises the new joined-up approach Cumbrian health trusts have adopted, and welcomes efforts to bring financial stability to the local NHS, ridding the county of its historic debt.
However, Unison says many of its members still have some serious concerns, particularly regarding consultation with frontline employees.
“Although the document heralds that the PCT has listened to the patients, carers and the public, at no point does it mention involvement of the important people who provide frontline services to the patient,” it states.
“We feel that this is a missed opportunity. It appears that consultants and GPs have been fully involved in the consultation process, but not other frontline staff.”
The union also raises some concerns about the logistics of bringing more services closer to people’s homes in a wide rural area such as Cumbria. It adds: “We are sceptical that staff will be ‘able to develop their skills and use them in satisfying ways’, and are confused as to how exactly this will improve recruitment and retention of staff.”
Unison also raises concerns about changes to acute and emergency services, particularly in west Cumbria, and insists staff and unions are fully consulted before any changes go ahead.
Cumbria’s health and well-being scrutiny committee has also responded to the Closer to Home consultation this week, making 29 recommendations to the primary care trust.The watchdog, made up of county and district councillors, met health service users, their families, patient representatives and others with an interest in the proposals. Its response says: “We welcome the positive approach of the PCT to the development of community hospitals.”But members have asked to be consulted at each key stage of the future changes to make sure replacement services are sufficiently developed.The other recommendations include ensuring that mental health services are developed at a community level.The committee’s chairman, councillor Bert Richardson, said: “One of the main recommendations in the report is the opportunity for the committee to evaluate the implementation of the changes at each key stage in order to make sure the reforms proceed safely and effectively.”
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