Trust silence over redundancies

Health Campaigner Councillor Jean Ashworth has told the Pennine Acute Hospitals Trust that staff need to be kept informed if redundancies are set to be announced.

At a meeting of the Joint Health Overview and Scrutiny meeting, Councillor Ashworth directly asked Tom Wilders, Director of Strategic Planning at the Trust, if redundancies are set to be announced. Mr Wilders said he could not comment.

Rochdale Online reported on Saturday (28 January) that the Trust is set to announce redundancies. The Trust has not made a comment to Rochdale Online regarding the redundancies.

Councillor Ashworth said: “Is the Pennine Acute set to announce redundancies? And I don’t mean people volunteering. I’ve had so many calls from staff being told they are going to be made redundant.

“Staff are falling left, right and centre because they are so stressed out over an uncertain future. Give them a chance – be open and honest.”

Mr Wilders said he couldn’t comment on redundancies but told the meeting about the “financial challenges” facing the Trust.

As reported last week by Rochdale Online, the Trust needs to make further savings and has been placed on ‘red’ alert over its finances by regional health chiefs.

In response, Councillor Ashworth said: “This is a question I asked and was told there would be no forced redundancies, I know circumstances have changed but the staff need to be kept thoroughly informed and they are not.

“I asked if Ward 18 at Fairfield was closing, you said there were no plans whatsoever then a few weeks later everybody heard it was closing. I am asking you to be open and honest about what is going on.”

Councillor Ashworth also asked if the Rochdale Infirmary is being prepared to be a head quarters for the Pennine Acute Trust with wards now being used as office space. Mr Wilders said this is not the case and there is a “good future for the infirmary.”