Lobbying Westminster 11 May

Fonenurse · May 12, 2006

fone, chapmajc......while you were probably on your way home from london today, our local news channel here in the north west featured yet another trust planning to axe 1000 jobs

oh no! tina - i'm in north west - which trust is that? i am trying to build up a picture of where there are no jobs, because if they make nhs direct staff redundant in some areas there will be no jobs for them to go to outside the organisation... it's a very worrying time indeed. west midlands is an obvious worry as so many redundancies have been announced in the trusts there.

until recently i have the following information on redundancies announced in the press:

13 birmingham women's healthcare

74 north tees and hartlepool nhs trust

85 kennet and north wiltshire pct & west wiltshire trust

90 kingston primary care trust

95 birmingham women's health care nhs trust

100 james paget hospital, norfolk

105 ipswich hospital nhs trust

150 oxfordshire pct

150 mid staffordshire hospitals

160 medway nhs trust

185 peterborough and stamford hospitals nhs trust

192 sidcup hospitals, kent

200 derriford hospital, plymouth

200 york hospitals

200 the royal west sussex nhs trust

239 king edward vii (non nhs institution)

250 national blood service, birmingham

300 royal cornwall hospitals

300 royal shrewsbury & princess royal, telford

300 royal wolverhampton

300 the royal united hospital, bath

325 brighton & sussex hospitals

400 sussex & surrey healthcare

480 royal free, london

500 west hertfordshire hospitals nhs trust

650 barking, redbridge and havering hospitals nhs trust,

700 county durham and darlington acute hospitals

720 worcestershire acute hospitals

800 sandwell and west birmingham hospitals

800 pennine acute trust

1000 university hospital of north staffordshire

1000 nhs direct

letina · May 12, 2006

Oh no! Tina - I'm in North West - which Trust is that?

It was on BBC North West News and it was Southport and Ormskirk Hospitals. Of course, there was the usual 'spin' about not making anyone redundant, but a figure of 1000 job cuts was mentioned. Don't know how they'll do it then :confused:

Fonenurse · May 12, 2006

It was on BBC North West News and it was Southport and Ormskirk Hospitals. Of course, there was the usual 'spin' about not making anyone redundant, but a figure of 1000 job cuts was mentioned. Don't know how they'll do it then

1000 is a large number for a Trust like that - wonder what their plans are to restructure services...

chapmajc · May 12, 2006

Our Trust, BH&R have stated that there will be 650 job cuts. They have also said that they can not confirm that there will be no more. That probably means that there will be more than this.

The taxpayer has paid a minimum of £57,000 (uni fees and bursary) to train each of us. We are the smallest cohort of 92, that's a total of £5,244,000.00 spent on us alone, what a waste of money. :confused:

Fonenurse · May 12, 2006

chapmajc - i know how you feel - when i qualified in 1982 i ended up working on the sweet counter at woolworths. i had to move to london to obtain a job - 200 miles from where i lived... it's fine for those who can relocate, but not everyone is able to do that.

it's no consolation to you, but i and my colleagues are waiting to hear if we are redundant - so this will be the second time in 25 years that i will be looking for 'any old' job just to keep the wolves from the door - times are not very nice right now, are they?

chapmajc · May 12, 2006

chapmajc - i know how you feel - when i qualified in 1982 i ended up working on the sweet counter at woolworths. i had to move to london to obtain a job - 200 miles from where i lived... it's fine for those who can relocate, but not everyone is able to do that.
it's no consolation to you, but i and my colleagues are waiting to hear if we are redundant - so this will be the second time in 25 years that i will be looking for 'any old' job just to keep the wolves from the door - times are not very nice right now, are they?

i know, i feel very sad for you people. i thought the tories were bad years ago. i feel gutted for the nurses that have a family to support.

they have made a rod for their own back with me. i enjoy studying and i love nursing so, i will go on the dole until they send me for more nurse training. which, they will do to cut down the unemployment figures, eventually.

i gave up a good job to become a nurse and have spent nearly four years getting here. i will just be the best qualified inexperienced nurse around. i can put my skills to good use in the voluntary sector, there are lots of neglected people out there who need help.

i have got used to having no money already, so there will be no change there.

madwife2002, BSN, RN · May 16, 2006

It is so sad, there is such a vast nursing shortage but no money to employ nurses. I just dont know what is going to happen because the poor few who have a job will have burn out soon. I know I came to the US because I wanted to be near my family, but I believed in the NHS and the system. Do you know what the sad thing is the public really dont know what is going on, as long as they can see their GP and get a hospital appt even at a wait-they are apeased. When I speak to friends they will say oh I waited so long for an appt that is their main concern when really appts are just the tip of the iceburg. I respect and admire those of you who went lobbying to London

Fonenurse · May 16, 2006

I respect and admire those of you who went lobbying to London

Thanks Kay. Today for me was black Tuesday - we heard how many jobs are being consulted on to go. I am now looking for a new job - so if you don't hear from me for a while, it's because I am filling out application forms and the like.

Lobbying was great, but I don't know how much of an effect it will have on my personal situation, if any.

madwife2002, BSN, RN · May 16, 2006

[Lobbying was great, but I don't know how much of an effect it will have on my personal situation, if any.

Yes but you can hold your head high and at least say you tried, because we nurses never stick together as we should. We would be such a powerful group if we did.

Editorial Team / Admin · May 16, 2006

Fone, I am sorry this has come to pass. I've been kept up-to-date about all of this through you.

I know you will prevail.

Fonenurse · May 16, 2006

Fone, I am sorry this has come to pass. I've been kept up-to-date about all of this through you.
I know you will prevail.

You guys are great - thanks for the support - I only hope that patient care is not affected by the proposals - I love my NHS service, and as long as the patient gets an improved service out of this, then it will be acceptable, however, I do have serious concerns that this will not be the case.