Cornwall hospital avoids layoffs but staffing concerns continue
Redundancies dropped at Royal Cornwall Hospitals NHS Trust but staffing challenges remain
Plans for compulsory redundancies at the Royal Cornwall Hospitals NHS Trust have been halted, easing the worries of many staff members, but concerns persist over staffing levels.
Managers at the trust have withdrawn their consultation regarding clinical administrative job cuts and confirmed that there will be no layoffs.
This decision comes after a consultative ballot by UNISON in which 91% of staff expressed willingness to strike.
The trust initially launched the consultation in an effort to address a budget shortfall, aiming to save £49 million.
While UNISON welcomed the move to stop redundancies, the union cautioned that the budget challenge could still lead to job losses and negatively affect patient care.
UNISON has emphasised the risk of leaving services understaffed if vacant positions are removed or not filled.
In response to the ballot, the trust has agreed to recruit staff for some roles that are currently vacant.
They also plan to develop new job descriptions cooperatively with union input and evaluate them internally.
Charlie Woods, UNISON South West regional organiser, said: “Staff are relieved that compulsory redundancies have been taken off the table.
“But this dispute isn’t over yet. Cutting posts by leaving vacancies unfilled would still pile pressure onto already stretched NHS teams.”
Medical secretary Jamie Smitheram, who works at the trust, said: “For months, we’ve been left to worry about what these plans meant for our jobs and our futures.
“Hearing there will be no redundancies is a huge relief for many of us and our families. It’s shown the importance of staff standing together.”
The trust said it was having ongoing discussions with UNISON and it would be inappropriate to comment at this time.