MP’s fears over strike at hospital
WEST Lancashire MP Rosie Cooper has expressed her concern over planned strike action at Wrightington, Wigan and Leigh Hospital Trust next week.
Unite members have given notice of strike action over the trust’s plans to outsource staff to a subsidiary company, WWL Solutions Ltd.
Ms Cooper said: “I have written to the chief executive, urging him to engage in immediate and meaningful talks...
“I am deeply worried about this rush to create subsidiary companies which leaves many staff fearing for their future pay, conditions and job security should the plans go ahead.
“I have voiced my concerns at the Health Select Committee and understand that the NAO together with HMRC are carefully looking at the arrangements which underpin decisions to create NHS subsidiary companies and whether it is simply a mechanism for tax avoidance, in which case it wouldn’t legally deliver the benefits trusts may be expecting.
“Having recently spoken in Parliament in a debate on NHS privatisation about the lack of transparency and accountability when it comes to private companies and the continuous cycle of contracting, sub-contracting, outsourcing and handing over to subsidiary companies that leaves a tangled web of privacy and secrecy which the public can’t get through, it would be a disgrace to see NHS trusts joining in.
“I’ve also previously raised concerns with HMRC, the Treasury and the Health Select Committee with regard to NHS Trusts setting up wholly owned subsidiary companies.”