‘The ink was barely dry on the new coalition government’s pledge that the NHS would be ring-fenced from the cuts before we were hit with bombshell news that Epsom and St Helier is being forced to slash £30 million from its spending’, says the NHS trust’s Unison branch.
Epsom and St Helier Unison stresses that ‘£30m is ten per cent of our budget’.
Warning such cuts will mean staff and bed cuts, the branch newsletter adds that ‘the cuts are being driven by the organisations that by our services, the PCTs (Primary Care Trusts)’.
Unison adds: ‘Merton and Sutton PCT is looking to slice £33 million from the value of its contracts. . . .
‘We are also being warned that failure to make the cuts, and make them quickly could jeopardise the plans for the new developments at both St Helier and Epsom’ hospitals.
Unison warns: ‘In some areas of the Trust, the cuts are already a reality.
‘Ward A6 has closed with the loss of 17 beds and there are rumours that some key services on the Epsom site could be under threat.’
The union pledges: ‘Unison at Epsom and St Helier is committed to fighting these cuts.
‘Don’t let anyone tell you that the only option is to roll over and take this hit on our jobs and services.’
The branch is also angry over the government’s demand for a two-year pay freeze.
Unison Epsom and St Helier branch secretary Kevin O’Brien says: ‘We are being told that its health workers, our public sector colleagues and the services we deliver that have to take a hammering to balance the (country’s) books.
‘To add insult to injury, the bankers are still in work and their wages and bonuses are back to exactly where they were and must be laughing their heads off.
‘I don’t think we should sit back and put up with this.
‘We need to stand up alongside our colleagues in other services like education, transport and the post to say enough is enough.
‘We have to be prepared to fight back, because I can assure you now that if we don’t the two year pay freeze will become a five year pay freeze and even a direct pay cut and the next thing is they will try to rob you of your pension.’
O’Brien adds: ‘It may well be we have to take action alongside other public sector workers and the local community.
‘We should not be afraid of that. These are very dangerous times for the NHS and for NHS staff and it is crucial that we stand together.’
