Union update on controversial managers' pay cuts at Blackpool Victoria Hospital
“Forcing staff to take pay cuts is no way to balance the books.”
A union which represents some of the 140 managerial staff at Blackpool Victoria Hospital who are facing demotion as part of a savings drive has blasted the proposals.
The Managers in Partnership (MiP) union says the action will have negligible effects on savings and will only have a detrimental effect on the service.
The employees affected say their morale is at an all-time low as cash-strapped Blackpool Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust looks to make savings of around half a million pounds from the move alone.
The employees at Band 6-8 level have been informed that a 30-day consultation period has been launched into the proposals, which would see their salaries dropped down to one pay grade below.
The consultation is due to end on August 30. Angry managerial staff have hit out at the move and say it would have serious consequences.
In response, the Trust says it will help to “strengthen accountability, improve decision-making and make sure our services are aligned to the way patients receive their care.”
What union says
But Jon Restell, chief executive of MiP, said: “Forcing staff to take pay cuts is no way to balance the books.
“It not only harms morale at a time of extraordinary financial and operational pressure, it risks undermining the Trust’s ability to deliver safe services for patients and puts further pressure on already stretched clinical teams.
“These managers lead teams, oversee performance and support the delivery of safe, innovative and efficient services.
“They are also the very people tasked with delivering the transformation and organisational change work already underway at Blackpool hospital.
“Who will continue that work if the roles are downgraded? “Moving these jobs to a lower pay band will not make the responsibilities they carry disappear.
“The Trust needs to be clear about what work will continue and what work will stop. “We will support our members throughout this consultation and urge the Trust to listen carefully to their concerns before making any decisions.”
Maggie Oldham, Chief Executive of Blackpool Teaching Hospitals, said: “Although 144 job roles are involved, we currently expect only a small number of these to be affected depending on the outcome of the consultation.
“The consultation is about receiving feedback and making sure the proposed structures can deliver safe, effective care. “We are working directly with colleagues who may be affected by the proposed changes and their views will be considered before any decisions are made.”