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Cuts at the Whittington to save £11m
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ANYONE walking along McDonald Road in Archway cannot help but notice the vast changes that have taken place to the outward appearance of the Whittington hospital.
But what is going on inside the hospital? As residents and hospital users, we are extremely concerned about some of the things we have heard are going on in the Whittington in order to make savings of £11 million before the 1st April this year.
Apparently, work that was previously done in house by workers employed in the public sector is being outsourced into the private sector.
Privatisation of hospital cleaning has already made hospitals dirtier not cleaner. The health of Islington residents is far too important to be put at risk by further outsourcing and privatisation of health workers jobs. We have been told by staff that work in the Whittington that nurses and ward clerks are rushed off their feet.
And that nine matrons have been reduced to two modern matrons. That secretarial services are being outsourced offshore to be done by workers who are paid a lot less than the secretaries employed at the Whittington and who have no local knowledge whatsoever of the patients records and appointments that they are dealing with.
And that there are also plans to outsource the work of staff in outpatients, pharmacists, sterile services and management jobs.
What really concerns us is that while profound changes are clearly taking place at the Whittington, the residents of Islington are not consulted or informed about them even though they could have an enormous impact on the health services delivered to the people of the borough. We challenge David Sloman, Chief Executive of the Whittington Hospital NHS Trust, to be open and honest in your pages by informing the residents of Islington exactly what is going on in the Whittington hospital.
GARY HEATHER
Chairperson
Mick Gilgunn, Secretary
Islington Trades Union Council
Romilly Road, N4
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