Confidentially breach over hospital cuts is a ‘disrespectful action’
HOSPITAL staff at Stepping Hill were shocked to read on social media and via a Liberal Democrat press release that the hospital were planning to close a ward and reduce staff numbers by voluntary redundancy. They had every right to ask why the news was broken to them in that manner.
The facts are that all Stockport’s political group leaders were given a confidential briefing earlier last week, laying out how the hospital would inform their staff, giving them full details of the proposals which included no compulsory job losses. Within hours of this briefing the Liberal Democrats released many of those details on social media and followed that up with a press release.
By breaching confidentiality, the Liberal Democrats caused immense upset and distress to hospital staff who had to read news about the hospital’s proposals on social media, rather than hearing from their employers what the real situation was.
Stockport’s political group leaders are often briefed on a confidential basis before important decisions are made public. This is entirely normal and up to now this convention has worked. It would now appear that Liberal Democrats think that political posturing is more important than the rights of hospital staff to be given news that affects their livelihoods in a proper manner.
To breach confidentially in the way they did is entirely wrong. The Liberal Democrats owe a sincere apology to the staff at Stepping Hill Hospital, Stockport Council’s chief executive and the other political group leaders for their crass, unthinking and disrespectful actions. Councillor Syd Lloyd Conservative group leader