Unite calls on Northampton General Hospital ‘to come clean’ on patient safety fears
30 Jun 2014 04:16 PM
Unite, the union, has
called on Northampton General Hospital ‘to come clean’ on fears
that it is ‘playing Russian roulette’ with patient safety, as its
unprecedented ‘lock out’ of 78 biomedical scientists enters its
fifth day.
Unite says patients at
Northampton General Hospital are facing delays of more than six hours for blood
test results as inexperienced staff with inadequate training struggle to cope
with demand.
The union’s members, who
voted for industrial action short of strike, including bans on overtime and
out-of-hour working, would provide a far safer service, guaranteeing results in
two hours and sooner, if requested by the casualty department, despite the
action.
Unite members, who face losing
their jobs this week for failing to sign new contracts on worse terms and
conditions, have been banned from the workplace since last Thursday (26
June).
Further safety fears have been
sparked by reports that managers, acting as cover in the pathology department,
have been working around the clock after being asked to sign forms to opt out
of the 48 hour European working time directive.
Unite regional officer Mick
Orpin, said: …. “Patients have been left
waiting for many hours in stressful situations for their test results when
under the Unite action they would be guaranteed a result in two hours and
sooner, if requested by casualty.
“It beggars belief
that an NHS trust could be guilty of such a disgraceful abuse of power.
It’s the first time in living memory that NHS workers have been banned
from entering the workplace for exercising their legal right to take
action.
“Unite has no doubt
that the trust’s aim all along has been to break our members and deny
them a fair chance to have their concerns heard. We are shocked at the
viciousness and heavy-handedness of the attack on our
members.
“Our members are
understandably anxious and upset at the threat of losing up to £6,000 a
year and of having their work life balance thrown into disarray under the new
contracts and are again calling on the trust to sit down and negotiate in a
meaningful way.”
The new contracts will see
workers forced to double their night time shifts from seven days in 14 weeks to
14 days in 14 weeks, while out-of-hours payments are slashed by 80 per
cent.
A typical biomedical scientist
earns between £21,000-£35,000-a-year and will have a university
degree, often Masters’ degrees, plus additional post graduate training
and many years’ experience.
ENDS
For further information please
contact Unite campaigns officer Chantal Chegrinec on 07774 146
777