Staff are not being treated well in Shared Services proposals

SIR, — I write to fully support the comments made by Mary Murray (Crossgar) in the Recorder edition of January 25 regarding the Health Department’s Shared Services document.

As a public representative and Alliance Party health spokesman, I attended a public meeting held at the Grosvenor Hall in Belfast last week to hear what is being proposed on the model and location of Shared Services for Health and Social Care.

Like the recent meeting in Downpatrick it was highly charged and rightly so. The officials running the meeting were left in no doubt as to how staff, trade unions and public representatives considered the proposals to be highly flawed.

As Mary Murray said last week, the proposals ought to be consigned to the dust bin. If this reorganisation were to go ahead up to 45 skilled staff based in Newtownards and over 30 based in Downpatrick would be asked to travel to Belfast, Ballymena, Omagh or Armagh and the Department must know these distances would be out of the question for the majority of these workers.

I listened to the presentation and the reasons given for these proposed changes and remarked that staff hardly got a mention. What way is this to treat people who have given years of service and who know the work inside out?

I am a member of the Stormont Health Committee and raised the Shared Services issue with Health and Social Care Board chief executive John Compton and Health Minister Edwin Poots when they came to the committee to discuss the so-called Compton Review document. I must say I was totally dismayed at their reply.

Mr. Poots said 500 jobs will become 400, with staff in personnel finding their job moving perhaps 60 or 70 miles away. However, he said training will be offered for staff to go closer to a Shared Services office.

An answer like that convinces me that minds in the Department have already been made up and the consultation is simply going through the motions.

All of the Health Committee members expressed concern at these proposals and it’s important people and staff respond to the consultation before February 29.

I am hoping to get the full backing of Ards Council to reject these proposals and inform the Minister and his Department of the strong opposition to such drastic moves.

Yours etc.,

KIERAN McCARTHY

MLA,

Strangford.