Instrument sterilisation to move 40 miles away

Patient safety in north east London could be compromised if the sterilisation of operating theatre instruments move to Maidstone in Kent, Unite warns.

Around 60 jobs at the Barking, Havering and Redbridge University Hospitals NHS Trust are in jeopardy if the provider Steris fails in its appeal against losing the contract to IHSS which would relocate the service to Maidstone.

Unite, the country’s largest union which represents the drivers, production managers, supervisors and technicians at the sterilisation unit based at Ilford’s King George Hospital, is calling for the trust bosses to keep the service on site to ensure the safety of patients and safeguard local jobs.

Health workers will be staging a protest at King George’s Hospital on 7 September from 11.30.

Ruth Hydon, Unite regional officer, said: “This move will put patients’ lives at risk by sending vital instruments to a location, Maidstone, that is too far away. The route is troubled every day by major delays at the Dartford crossing and around the notorious M25.

“Staff handed in a petition of 200 names of hospital workers and theatre clinicians who object to the move. The vast majority of staff are local and won’t be able to relocate to Maidstone.

“Most are also long-standing staff who were transferred out of the NHS – their jobs are under threat as no guarantee of future employment has been given.

“We are calling on the public to protest by writing to the trust’s CEO Matthew Hopkins and local MPs in a bid to reverse this flawed proposal which is motivated by relentless cost-cutting.

“Currently, Steris does eight deliveries a day to Queen’s Hospital in Romford and five a day to King George. The decision to award the tender is clearly based on cost saving, but doesn’t account for the fact that currently staff are available 24/7 at short notice.

“We understand that the announcement on the appeal will be made within the next week.”