What next? What else can the hard working staff at Salisbury District Hospital deal with?

The Hospital is now in a Consultation period to set up a subsidiary company run by the Salisbury Foundation Trust, although this Company would be wholly owned by Salisbury NHS Foundation Trust the Staff that are currently employed by the Trust in the Facilities, Maintenance and Procurement Departments would no longer be employed by the NHS.

The Trust however is not giving these Employees cast iron promises that in moving over to a Wholly owned Subsidiary Company of Salisbury NHS Foundation that their Terms and Conditions of Employment will not change, they have said that they have no view to change these but will not give their promise or Promise those staf who have worked hard over the years and paid into the NHS Pension scheme to provide for their Retirement, that they will be able to take their NHS Pension over to the new company.

When most people think of a Hospital it is the Doctors and Nurses that they think of, what about those on the lower pay scale that hold up the Trust, as it is these that are being hit once again.

How would the Hospital run with no Porters to move Patients around the Hospital for treatment or to wards?

How would the Patients spaces be without the Housekeeping staff that keep those areas clean and useable?

How would the Hospital keep running if it wasn't for the team of maintenance Staff, Carpenters, Plumbers, and Electricians?

How would the thousands of calls from Patients and Relatives daily get directed to Departments and Wards or Emergency Calls go out to Doctors if it wasn't for the Switchboard Staff?

How would Inpatients, Outpatients, Relatives, and Visitors be fed without the Catering team?

How would the Hospital be able to provide lots of Services if it wasn't for the Procurement staff buying in what is needed to carry out the daily routine?

Yet it is these people that once again are on a knife edge wondering what is going to happen, are they going to get their wages cut, or have to work longer hours? How will this impact on their home life, child care, rent or mortgage payments?

Is this how the Trust reward the many staff who have worked so hard for over this events of this year, not to mention all the staff, many who work in these Department who stayed on site when we had the heavy snowfall earlier in the year covering for those unable to get into the Hospital, who stayed for days sleeping where they could so the Hospital could keep running.

How would those people who are setting this up feel in our situation, without stability, we are not stupid we know nothing can be guaranteed, but most people take on a job knowing what is expected of them and what the forecast is for the next year or two, with this we have no promises, no guarantees, The Trust expects us to just go long with it.

Since the proposal was given to the staff on Monday and I am writing this on Tuesday, I already know of one staff member that has given in their notice, is this what the Trust wants, do they want an insecure dwindling workforce?

Please give your support to this relatively unseen workforce that helps keep your local Hospital going.