NHS staff 'angry' at plans to move to private firm
BBCHospital staff said they were "angry and frustrated" at plans to transfer them from their NHS trust to a firm owned by that trust, their union said.
Hundreds of porters, housekeeping, maintenance and facilities workers could be affected by the change in Somerset. Some protested against the proposals at a rally in Taunton.
Unison South West regional organiser Helen Eccles said staff were "really concerned" the move would "fragment the NHS".
Somerset NHS Foundation Trust said it had "paused" the decision while waiting for further guidance from NHS England. NHS England said last September that it would be consulting on new national guidance around the use of subsidiary companies in the NHS.
Some 350 non-clinical staff at Yeovil District Hospital have already been working for Simply Serve, a subsidiary company of Somerset NHS Foundation Trust, since 2018.
The union said the trust was currently looking at expanding the company to incorporate staff working at other hospitals in the trust.
Those include Musgrove Park Hospital in Taunton, three mental health units and 13 community hospitals across the county.
'It's the unknown'
Maria Harris, a service assistant at Dene Barton Community Hospital in Cotford St Luke, took part in the protest rally.
"Our main concern is we don't know what is happening and how it's going to affect us," she said.
"I know change happens but it's the unknown. They can tell you one thing and do something completely different."
Bogdan Mardale, who works at Yeovil District Hospital, was also at the rally.
He said: "We're proud to work for the NHS and we want to be part of the NHS family.
"We're talking about equality, we're talking about being in the same trust, but we're feeling we are not being in the same trust because we are in a different company."
Eccles said more than 700 union members had signed a petition against the proposed change, stating that "a pause is not a decision".
She said: "There's a whole team of staff delivering NHS services whether you're a porter, someone working in catering or the nurse, the doctor, the consultant - you're all part of an NHS team."
A spokesperson for Somerset NHS Foundation Trust said: "We have paused work to consider whether some of our non-clinical services could be brought together under Simply Serve Limited, a wholly-owned subsidiary of our trust, while we await further guidance from NHS England.
"No decisions have been made and any future proposals would be subject to appropriate engagement with colleagues and trade unions.
"Our focus remains on ensuring high-quality support services across Somerset, while protecting colleagues' terms and conditions and delivering best value for taxpayers and patients."
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