Unison demands 'full disclosure' over Southern HSC Trust’s budget proposals, warning of impact to patients, service users and workforce

Unison Orchard Branch representative, Deborah Yapicioz was given an opportunity to speak at the August 27 board meeting of the Southern HSC Trust in Newry.

The trade union spokesperson told board members: “I’m speaking on behalf of your largest trade union, Unison, which represents the majority of workers right across your Trust.

“Unison is very concerned by the proposals that this board is being asked to consider today.

“You are being asked as a board to approve a major reduction in your Trust’s budget. This will impact patients, service users and the wider workforce across the Trust.

“We also understand that the plan that is before you represents only the first year of a projected three years in which the Trust would be expected to cut spending.

“Before approving budget cuts, this Trust board must understand the combined effect that such cuts would have across multiple years on patients and service users, particularly those experiencing health inequalities, and on its workforce.

“We must place on record that we are not satisfied that the Trust is following its obligations in relation to consulting effectively with trade unions as representatives of the workforce, or with the wider public in relation to this financial plan.

“Unison will require full disclosure of all relevant information in relation to these proposals.

“Just to be clear, Unison is opposed to cuts that would damage the health of the public or negatively affect our workforce.

“We know that this Trust has been asked to make cuts in a context where the Northern Ireland Executive has not yet agreed a budget, and where the budget deficit facing Health and Social Care as a whole is estimated at around £800m.

“The argument made will be that the Trust cannot spend money that it has not been given. There is no doubt that political leaders at both Westminster and Stormont must bear responsibility for the fact that public services in Northern Ireland are not funded based on need.

“However, there is an obligation on this board to push back against budgetary allocations that will not allow it to meet its duty to provide services to the public.

“There may be an effort to suggest these budget cuts are part of a wider agenda aimed at resetting or transforming services.

“Unison is not opposed to efforts to reform or transfer services, where this genuinely involves the public, patients and service users, their workforce and their recognised trade unions, but we do not believe that this has been the case here.

“We do not accept that where actions such as these are proposed to tackle budget shortfalls, that they cannot enable effective reform. Instead, we believe that such actions are counterproductive.

“We note that the financial plan provided refers to further reducing spending on agency staff. Unison has worked and will continue to work alongside employers and the department to reduce the high cost of spending on agencies.

“However, our aim is to have this money reinvested into permanent posts and the non-agency workforce.

“We are very concerned [about] any proposals to control vacancies or reduce recruitment activity, where services are already overstretched.

“Controlling vacancies would negatively impact on morale and place staff who remain in post under even greater pressure.

“To conclude, chair, members, we call on you not to agree to cuts in your budget which would damage services, impact negatively on patients and service users or negatively impact on the workforce.”