20.11.12
Attacking the back office
Yorkshire hospitals are facing strike action today by Unison members working in admin and clerical roles.
The trust needs to find £24m savings by next April, and staff can represent an easy target when managers look to find extra ‘efficiencies’, through redundancies and pay cuts. The people who work at hospitals are an expensive resource, and trusts may be increasingly tempted to cut this number, particularly in back office roles such as admin.
But these people provide an essential service of infrastructure and support that allows clinicians to deliver quality care to patients. They were employed for a reason, and it is difficult to justify cutting jobs in this area, particularly if all other avenues have not yet been exhausted.
Whilst many trusts are struggling, there are still those that are managing to save money without cutting staff and still improving care. This best practice must be rolled out to avoid situations like the strikes in Yorkshire and protect all NHS staff through efficiency saving and reform.
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