SDLP Justin McNulty MLA spoke in a Southern Trust Board meeting about the recently announced cuts planned for Healthcare Trusts across the North. The Trusts are expected to announce proposals on how they intend to make a total savings of up to 12% over three years. Healthcare workers’ unions are concerned that these cuts will negatively impact staff, especially cleaning staff and porters.
Speaking in the board meeting, Mr McNulty said:
“I appreciate the financial stresses facing our health service are not easy fixes, and the Executive’s inability to agree to a budget has brought significant uncertainty and instability for the sector’s long term financial planning.
“Given this reality, I have concerns about the delivery of the long-delayed Newry Community Treatment Centre, the allocation and delivery of care packages, and job security for our invaluable healthcare workers, including porters. These concerns are exacerbated by the announcement of a 12% cut across Trusts over the next three years.
“Cleaning staff and porters are vital to the efficient running of our hospitals. Without them, sanitation and cleanliness standards would not be upheld, furthering risk for the spread of sickness. These workers are necessary and valued, and should not be treated as disposable by the Trusts.”
He continued by pressing the Trust on how these cuts will be rolled out:
“How much is currently known about the scale of these cuts and how they will impact service delivery and staffing in the Southern Trust? What services and areas are most likely to be impacted by cuts, and are lay-offs part of this plan?
“There are already funding deficits in the Daisy Hill Hospital Estate impacting long-delayed project delivery and essential maintenance works. Further cuts threaten to impact services and disrupt patient care. The Newry Community Treatment Centre was promised over a decade ago, but is still on hold awaiting the release of the Department’s 10 year capital plan. The treatment centres in Banbridge and Lisburn have long been operational – only Newry’s Health Hub has not been delivered. I am concerned that these cuts will follow in this “last to get, first to lose” trend and that Daisy Hill will be disproportionately impacted. What assurances can be made to healthcare workers that their jobs will be protected? And what assurances can be offered to patients and their families that these cuts will not reduce quality of care?
“My office is inundated with families at their wits’ end because they are unable to secure a care package for their loved ones. How will the Trust ensure that these cuts do not threaten the capacity and provision of care packages, which are already stretched thin?”
The Trust stated that there are no proposals to make anybody redundant, but noted that some new or unoccupied roles may not be filled.
ENDS
CLANRYE NEWS 