Ipswich and Colchester hospital staff to vote on strike

Members of UNISON are to consider the move after East Suffolk and North Essex NHS Foundation Trust (ESNEFT), which manages Ipswich and Colchester hospitals, revealed it was to review the provision of the services across its sites.

It comes as the junior doctors started their latest five-day walkout on Thursday, spelling further disruption for the NHS in the run-up to the general election.

Cleaning and security services at ESNEFT are currently provided by private company OCS at Ipswich Hospital - but its contract comes to an end in April next year.

ESNEFT wants to "outsource" services to include cleaners, porters and caterers at Colchester Hospital and community sites such as Aldeburgh and Felixstowe hospitals and the rehabilitation clinic Bluebird Lodge in Ipswich.

This will affect 4,022 workers at NHS sites controlled by the trust.

It plans to invite bids for a new contract to provide services at all its sites and the jobs of workers employed directly by the NHS would be transferred to the successful company.

UNISON, which has previously criticised the ESNEFT's decision to review the provision of its services, is inviting its members to vote on Tuesday, July 11 on whether to take strike action.

UNISON believes that the end of this contract would have been the perfect opportunity for ESNEFT to bring the services at both hospitals "in-house".

Instead, ESNEFT is considering the possibility of outsourcing services at all its sites.

ESNEFT chief executive Nick Hulme said that ensuring the workers are protected is a top priority. (Image: Sarah Lucy Brown, Newsquest)

Nick Hulme, chief executive of ESNEFT, said: “We continue to work closely with our staff and our staff side colleagues, including UNISON. It is our commitment that we continue our engagement through the coming months.

"From the trust perspective, we have already had a number of helpful conversations.”

UNISON claims the trust is "swimming against the tide" with its review. 

Sam Older, UNISON Eastern regional organiser, said: “Staff are still shocked at the callous decision to sell off their jobs.

“It’s hard to fathom who is supposed to benefit from the decision to put these services out to tender, but it’s certainly not staff or patients.

“These health workers are proud to work for the NHS and proud to put patients first. They don’t want to strike but they don’t want to be sold off to the lowest bidder either.

“The trust can easily remove the threat of industrial action by scrapping these uncaring plans immediately.”