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Continueing Labour Government NHS policy to use the private sector and increase NHS privatisation, NHS Foundation Trusts and the 42 Local NHS ICS that have replaced a national health service in England; continue to increase the spread of private sector take over of NHS services both clinical and non-clinical.
This situation echoes a previous attempt by the same NHS trust in 2018 to privatise all non-clinical services by moving them into a Wholly-Owned Subsidiary (WOS). That attempt was ultimately abandoned following a robust campaign of industrial action led by GMB members. In their grievance, the workers argue that there is a strong business case against the privatisation plan. They have also indicated their readiness to request a union ballot for industrial action if their concerns are not addressed. Gary Palmer, GMB Regional Organiser, commented on the situation, recalling the previous struggle with the trust over similar outsourcing efforts. He noted that the GMB members were committed to remaining within the NHS and expressed hope that the new Chief Executive of Frimley Health Foundation Trust would establish a positive working relationship with the union. Palmer also emphasized that if the trust fails to address the issues raised by the staff, the members are prepared to take action, as they have successfully done in the past: “We’ve been here before with Frimley Health Foundation Trust, where they tried to outsource all non-clinical services so they could pay some directors a higher wage. GMB members stopped those plans getting off the ground and these members are determined to remain in the NHS family as well. I understand the Chief Executive has only been in post for a week or so, so hopefully he can start his tenure by created a sensible working relationship with the main union within FHFT. If the employer does not listen to the concerns outlined by staff in the grievance, our members have proved before that they are prepared to take action to show their strength of feeling.” Source: GMB
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But members of the GMB union are fighting back: the union representing NHS workers, have formally submitted a grievance against their employer, the Frimley Park NHS Foundation Trust, in response to plans to outsource their department. These workers are employed at the Slough Community Diagnostic Centre, located within Wexham Park Hospital, and are opposing the proposed privatisation of their services.