Zarah ChoudharyThe Unite trade union, one of the unions for healthcare workers in the UK, has criticised the decision announced by Government to cut thousands of jobs from NHS England.
Unite said it was not briefed or involved in the decision by the health secretary or other Government officials.
Members expressed concern about the news that there will be a 50% cut to NHSE, as details remain uclear.
Sharon Graham, general secretary at Unite, said: “The NHS is one of the largest organisations in the world and hugely complex.
“It requires technical and clinical experts and a vast administrative staff for payroll, procurement, human resources and a multitude of other back office roles to make it work effectively.
“Taking an axe to these jobs is an ill-thought-out strategy that could end up meaning frontline healthcare staff struggle to do their jobs effectively if they aren’t paid on time, don’t have basic medical supplies or are forced to do additional administrative work rather than treat patients.”
Unite is extremely concerned about the economic impact such wide cuts could have on towns and cities across England, in particular in Leeds where many staff are based.
Jackie Williams, national officer for health at Unite, added: “We need urgent clarity from the department of health and NHS England about what the future holds for our members.
“Unite is demanding that there are no compulsory redundancies.
“These job cuts are not just affecting management roles.
“There will be workers who are employed on all NHS pay bands affected; some of whom are paid just above the minimum wage.”
Workplace Journal has reached out to the NHS for a comment.
