Health Education England (HEE) employees, based in Stewart House at the University of London and involved in the current consultation process, which threatens to reduce posts by 41% among staff who recruit and train junior doctors, have issued a series of key demands.
- No compulsory redundancies.
- Current staff to be retained to oversee transition to new technologies.
- No selection process.
- Full risk assessment audit to be conducted.
- Full equality impact assessment to be conducted.
The consultation period closes on the 7th of September, and it is clear that HEE management have been shaken by the degree of opposition to their plans (a petition against them already has nearly 500 signatures), which would see the workforce cut by more than two-fifths on the back of plans which some staff have described as ‘back-of-an-envelope stuff’.
‘It’s astonishing that such a massive decision,with such potential catastrophic effects on doctor numbers and patient safety, should have been made with no proper risk assessment’, said one employee, who did not wish to be named for fear that this would count against them in the forthcoming selection process.
Over 10,000 trainees are currently looked after by just 180 staff – but this number is set to fall to just 111 if the proposals are adopted.
Health Education England claim that these cuts have been forced on them by reductions in the NHS Education budget – but while other regions are delaying implementation until 2020, the London Region have set March 2017 as the date by which the new structure will take effect.
The IWGB is fully supporting its members as well as other affected staff. One member told us: ‘We have to fight this. London is being used as a guinea pig – if they get away with it here, the same cuts will happen across the rest of the country’.
Staff plan to target stakeholders such as the British Medical Association as part of their campaign, and have not ruled out strike action.
For further information please contact Danny at dannymillum@iwgb.org.uk.
Independent Workers Union of Great Britain - Universities of London Branch 