Published: 28 June, 2012
by PETER GRUNER

STAFF morale at the Whittington Hospital  hit a new low this week with the news that a  management reorganisation is expected to include redundancies.

Former car parts company turned business consultants Unipart are being paid £500,000 to “streamline” the often criticised hospital’s administrative service.

On Thursday senior executives from the hospital held a meeting of 60 administrative  staff warning  them that there will need to be “changes and flexibility”, and it could mean some jobs will go.

Unipart – formerly part of British Leyland – has been hired to implement a “lean methodology” across the NHS trust.

Whittington Health chief operating officer Maria da Silva said she was unable to give a figure of how many jobs might go.

She added: “I do understand the anxieties and these are very uncertain times.

“Things are changing but we are determined to communicate with staff and keep them fully informed about what is going on.

“We know that jobs will be affected but we will support people finding other jobs in the organisation or in the NHS. 

“Nothing is guaranteed because we still don’t know what changes will occur, but we will try our best to redeploy staff if necessary.”

The hospital is convinced that the changes will improve and speed up outpatient waiting times and appointments.

Ms da Silva said that surveys show that patients are fed up with   delays, cancellations, and time-wasting when they are waiting for treatment or to see a specialist.

She said: “We will be starting streamlining adult services, including cancer, maternity and women’s health, and later move on to children’s and community services around the borough.”

The changes will come into effect towards the end of this year and the hospital will then be gauging patients’ opinions.

Ms da Silva, who has worked in Islington health services for 20 years, said the changes would make going to the Whittington a “much better experience”.

Shirley Franklin, chairwoman of the Defend the Whittington Hospital Coalition, said the company would be “sacking staff in order to make their profits”, and implementing a “massive cuts programme that this government is imposing on the NHS”.