Wiltshire NHS staff transfer to private sector sparks controversy
Council and union express concern over impact on workers
A decision to move hundreds of NHS staff in Wiltshire to a private company has drawn criticism from local councillors and union representatives.
BSW Hospitals Group, formed from a partnership of various NHS Trusts across Swindon and Wiltshire, has decided to transfer its ‘bank’ staff, who cover flexible shifts, from NHS employment to private healthcare provider Pulse, starting 1st August.
Bank staff include workers in nursing, midwifery, allied health professions, administrative, catering, and ancillary roles.
The decision aims to save the NHS between £3.3 million and £5.4 million through reduced employer pension contributions, which will drop from 23.7 per cent to six per cent under the new arrangement.
However, the move has faced opposition for potentially impacting workers' benefits and job security. Mark Wareham, Salisbury branch secretary for UNISON, voiced concerns, saying the shift “transfers a core NHS staffing function to a private, profit-driven provider,” without offering additional expertise compared to existing in-house teams.
He urged councillors to formally challenge NHS Trust executives regarding workforce implications and consider raising the issue with the Secretary of State for Health.
Jude Gray, chief people officer at BSW Hospitals Group, defended the change, stating it would “reduce reliance on high-cost agency staffing” and “increase fill rates for temporary shifts.” She argued that the move doesn’t constitute privatisation of NHS clinical services.
Despite discussions, Wiltshire Council's Health Select Committee decided against escalating the matter to Health Secretary Wes Streeting. Instead, it opted to establish a consultation protocol with BSW Hospitals Group and requested a future update on staffing levels to ensure service quality remains unchanged.
In early January 2027, BSW Hospitals Group and UNISON will return to provide reports on the impact of these changes on staff and service delivery.