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Suffolk: Private firm Serco to hold first public engagement event to consult over job cuts proposals
By Lizzie Parry Health reporter
Friday, March 8, 2013
9:53 AM
A PRIVATE firm proposing to axe around 137 community health jobs in Suffolk is to hold the first public engagement event to canvass the views of people in the county.
Last October, Serco faced criticism from employees concerned that suggestions the axe will fall on more than 30 community nurses, nine specialist and district nurses could pose a “risk to patients”.
The outcry prompted calls for a public consultation and sparked Suffolk’s Health Scrutiny Committee to voice its concerns and back calls for engagement.
In January the firm announced it was committed to public engagement – three months after launching its staff consultation.
Sharon Colclough, Serco’s Director of Community Services, said, “We are committed to public engagement and, since being appointed to deliver NHS community health services in Suffolk just under a year ago, we have undertaken a great deal of engagement.
However, we recognise the need to do more and we welcome the Health Scrutiny Committee’s support in this respect.
The first in a series of Question Time-type events designed to give people the chance to find out more about the way services will be managed in the future is taking place at Kesgrave Community Centre next Thursday.
Senior staff from Serco will be on hand to explain proposals to re-model community healthcare services.
Members of the public can attend the event next Thursday at the community centre in Twelve Acre Approach from 7-9pm.
A further eight events will take place across Suffolk in the coming weeks.
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3 comments
T Doff has it spot on. The Govt are happy to let the likes of Serco take over vital public services because it makes fat profits for their rich friends at the expense of the taxpayer who gets a worse service. 'Welcome to Britain - available to the highest bidder.'
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skrich
Friday, March 8, 2013
I too was taken over by a private firm. I had worked for the MOD for 9 and a half years, within 1 year of being taken over by a private company I had been told I was no required due to ill health reasons and sacked in my own living room. I had a consultant to see and reports off other people but they were not interested and all they wanted was me out because I was costing too much money not being there doing my job. The MOD would have helped me get back to work any way that they could have done and I would have welcomed this but the private company who took over were only interested in getting rid of me and other people too for what ever reasons they could find. The company who took over did not respect the rules and broke them to make way for their own rules. Sadly this is the way work is going with many more private companies getting involved and then a mass execution of staff.
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Norfolk Dumpling
Friday, March 8, 2013
Like most other private companies who have been handed a slice of what the British public have paid for through taxes over decades, Serco want as much money out of it as they can get, with minimum expenditure. If that means cutting staff, paying the rest less and degrading the service, then they won't care, as long as Government lets them get away with it.
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T Doff
Friday, March 8, 2013