Moving centre to Ballymena will be hard for local workers

SIR, — I was dismayed and angered to hear of the announcement last week by the Department of Health that administration jobs currently based in Bernagh House at the Downshire Hospital are to be relocated to Ballymena as part of Shared Services.  

The majority of staff employed in these posts are young mothers who, without enough years of service, will be unable to avail of any voluntary redundancy package offered. This is an absolute travesty not just for those people employed there but also their families and the knock on impact that this will have on Downpatrick businesses as a whole.

These are changes which Downpatrick and the surrounding area can ill afford.

The consultation period on Shared Services was announced in the face of Christmas in what I can only assume is an attempt to ensure people would be distracted by the run up to Christmas and fail to respond to the consultation document.

I would appeal to people to view the consultant document and respond to it. It can be located on the Department of Health’s Website - www.dhsspsni.gov.uk. I would encourage as many people as possible to contact their councillors and MLA’s to question what on earth is happening here.

Perhaps it will be a merry Christmas for Mr. Poots on his salary but for young mothers in fear of their jobs in Downpatrick it will be a less than pleasant Christmas morning.

Yours etc.,

FEARFUL,

Killyleagh.