Union fears 140 jobs at hospitals face axe (From The Wiltshire Gazette and Herald)

Union fears 140 jobs at hospitals face axe

UP TO 140 jobs from all community hospitals in west Wiltshire are under threat as part of the latest wave of closures.

Union bosses are fuming at how staff have been treated and say industrial action is a "distinct possibility". They also fear Trowbridge, Melksham and Warminster Hospitals will close over the next 12-18 months.

Roger Davey from UNISON said: "We have had a series of meetings with PCT management and we are looking at redundancies of around 140 jobs.

"They say it is equivalent to 96 full-time jobs, which will work out as around 140 jobs as there are a lot of part-timers in the NHS.

"Some of the jobs might be redeployed, but there are few opportunities for this. We are now even more convinced the other hospitals will close sometime early next year.

"It is not going out for public consultation which is an absolute disgrace.

"The PCT are saying it is not a service change because they are reproviding services elsewhere.

"Any decision should go out to public consultation."

The PCT met union chiefs at Melksham Hospital on Thursday afternoon and revealed the redundancy plan. It is part of West Wiltshire Primary Care Trust's plan to save £13.8m by March.

Bradford on Avon Hospital was closed permanently and services at Westbury were slashed last week. The two closures will save an estimated £2.8m over the coming year, which means they have identified £11.2m of savings. The £2.6m deficit leaves many to fear there are more cuts to come.

A staff nurse at Melksham Hospital said industrial action could take place on behalf of the people of the town.

She asked not to be named but said: "I think the whole thing is just crazy. We will not rule out any possibilities as we have got to fight for the people who depend on their hospital.

"I don't know how they expect us to carry on if we are so short staffed.

"We are plodding on as best we can and biding our time but know Melksham is next on the hit-list. Most of the girls have resigned themselves to that.

"I would hate to have to move, I love it here and don't want to uproot my family."

A spokesman for the PCT said it was too early to talk specific numbers of redundancies. She said: "We are working with staff and unions to try and accommodate the staff who are being displaced by the closures. It is too early to say how many redundancies there may be."

The West Wiltshire Patient and Public Involvement Forum will be holding a meeting about the hospital closures at 2pm on September 22. The meeting will be held in All Saints Church Hall, Church Yard, Westbury.