Hundreds of NHS workers still facing uncertain future

GOVERNMENT REFUSES TO BACK REDUNDANCY SCHEME

- By HELENA VESTY

THE 1,600-strong NHS workforce in Greater Manchester is being left with an ‘incredibly uncertain’ future as the government refuses to approve a redundancy scheme.

Some 600 NHS employees in the region are facing redundancy amid deep cuts being demanded by the government. But months after announcing the reforms, national health bosses ‘will not approve’ a government-backed redundancy scheme needed for the huge savings ordered by Westminster.

That means there is still no clarity on if jobs will be lost, which jobs those might be and when they might be lost - effectively leaving the total 1,600 staff and their families, with no security.

Earlier this year, NHS Greater Manchester, the region’s oversight body, was told to cut its costs by 39 per cent and save £41 million from its £106m staff budget under the government's reforms. That equates to 600 jobs, heard Greater Manchester’s Joint Health Scrutiny Committee meeting yesterday.

Councillors at the scrutiny committee levelled their concerns at the government about hundreds being left in limbo, admitting the cuts ‘hitting home sounds quite frightening’.

Committee vice-chair and Salford councillor, Irfan Syed, said: “It’s really shocking to listen that 600 plus staff members don't know what's going to happen next. They have got families and children, directly or indirectly, there are thousands affected].

“It should have been the first priority. [Those 600 plus families] don’t know what's going to happen the next day.”

“It’s not just 600, it’s [all staff facing uncertainty] because nobody knows,’ added committee chair and Bury councillor, Elizabeth FitzGerald.