{"id":1006,"date":"2014-08-29T15:47:51","date_gmt":"2014-08-29T14:47:51","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/unitelive.org\/?p=1006"},"modified":"2014-09-02T08:44:20","modified_gmt":"2014-09-02T07:44:20","slug":"staff-reject-viapath-transfer","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/unitelive.test.igniteamt.com\/?p=1006","title":{"rendered":"Staff reject Viapath transfer"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Controversial outsourcing giant Serco is adversely affecting a world class NHS pathology service, Unite warned today (August 29).<\/p>\n

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The expanding tentacles of NHS privatisation are now impacting on the NHS\u00e2\u20ac\u2122 flagship pathology service at Guy\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s and St Thomas\u00e2\u20ac\u2122 in London \u00e2\u20ac\u201c partly owned by Serco.<\/p>\n

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Representing the 370-strong pathology workforce at Guy\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s & St Thomas\u00e2\u20ac\u2122 NHS Foundation Trust, Unite reports recruitment and retention problems, plummeting morale, excessive workloads, skeleton weekend staffing levels and delays in processing patient samples.<\/p>\n

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\u00e2\u20ac\u015bOur members have reported increased recruitment and retention issues, lower morale, skeleton weekend staffing levels and problems over service delivery since the 2009 partnership agreement,\u00e2\u20ac\u0165 says Unite regional officer Colenzo Jarrett-Thorpe.<\/p>\n

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\u00e2\u20ac\u015bThere have been cases of people leaving as part of \u00e2\u20ac\u0098natural wastage\u00e2\u20ac\u2122 and either not being replaced \u00e2\u20ac\u201c or replaced by those with lesser skills \u00e2\u20ac\u201c this can\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t be good for overall patient care.\u00e2\u20ac\u0165<\/p>\n

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The \u00e2\u20ac\u0098beginning of the slippery slope\u00e2\u20ac\u2122 started in 2009 when an agreement on pathology services provision was reached between the trust and Serco.<\/p>\n

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Serco is currently at the centre of media reports alleging it has overcharged NHS hospitals millions of pounds.<\/p>\n

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The partnership was later joined by King\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust \u00e2\u20ac\u201c and now operates under the name of Viapath.<\/p>\n

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Unite\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s pathology members are now campaigning against plans by Viapath to transfer them from the NHS to Viapath in January. They fear their pay, and terms and conditions are at risk if this is allowed to happen.<\/p>\n

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\u00e2\u20ac\u015bSince the trust’s recent announcement of its intention of transferring NHS pathology staff to Viapath, even more resignations have taken place,\u00e2\u20ac\u0165 reports Colenzo.<\/p>\n

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\u00e2\u20ac\u015bOur members could earn much more in the private sector or by leaving and being re-hired as expensive locums in the NHS \u00e2\u20ac\u201c but they are committed to the NHS ethos and see the latest Viapath plan as undermining that ethos.<\/p>\n

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In July staff lobbied the board members at Guy\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s & St Thomas\u00e2\u20ac\u2122 to get the Viapath proposal jettisoned \u00e2\u20ac\u201c and UNITElive has learned management is now talking more positively to the trade unions on this issue.<\/p>\n

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But staff are just not accepting the advance of privatisation tentacles. On August 28, Unite\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s pathology members voted unanimously to campaign against the plans to move their employment status from the NHS to Viapath.<\/p>\n

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\u00e2\u20ac\u015bThe NHS is being privatised right before our very eyes\u00e2\u20ac\u0165 added Colenzo Jarrett-Thorpe.<\/p>\n

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\u00e2\u20ac\u015bThis is not just about our members\u00e2\u20ac\u2122 pay and conditions, but is crucial about what sort of NHS this country wants \u00e2\u20ac\u201c one that is dedicated to public service or one where shareholder profits of controversial outsourcing\u00c2\u00a0 giants, such as Serco, are paramount.\u00e2\u20ac\u0165<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Controversial outsourcing giant Serco is adversely affecting a world class NHS pathology service, Unite warned today (August 29).   The expanding tentacles of NHS privatisation are now impacting on the NHS\u00e2\u20ac\u2122 flagship pathology service at Guy\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s and St Thomas\u00e2\u20ac\u2122 in London \u00e2\u20ac\u201c partly owned by Serco.   Representing the 370-strong pathology workforce at Guy\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s & […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1007,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[1],"tags":[75],"wps_subtitle":"Path lab staff in NHS sell-off row","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/unitelive.test.igniteamt.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1006"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/unitelive.test.igniteamt.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/unitelive.test.igniteamt.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/unitelive.test.igniteamt.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/unitelive.test.igniteamt.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1006"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/unitelive.test.igniteamt.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1006\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1010,"href":"https:\/\/unitelive.test.igniteamt.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1006\/revisions\/1010"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/unitelive.test.igniteamt.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/1007"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/unitelive.test.igniteamt.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1006"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/unitelive.test.igniteamt.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1006"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/unitelive.test.igniteamt.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1006"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}