Outsource decision for union

THE Pennine Acute Trust’s board will meet today to decide whether to “outsource” human resources to a private company.

The Trust, which runs the Royal Oldham Hospital and others, will discuss giving HR works to Leeds-based private law firm Capsticks.

NHS staff trade union Unison has organised a petition against the move signed by over 3,000 people, including Oldham West and Royton MP Michael Meacher. The petition claims giving the work to a private company will remove access to HR advice or support.

Unison North-West regional convenor Angela Rayner said: “Good quality employment advice for staff is important in ensuring good working relations. This would be lost if the service were privatised.”

An earlier move to send trust payroll operations out to a private company was later dropped, and staff are hoping this thinking will prevail once again.

Angela Rayner added: “There is overwhelming local opposition to these plans. It’s not right to invite private companies into our NHS to move jobs away from Greater Manchester and take profits away.”