Theatre shake up at Wirral hospitals could see 10 job losses

Dec 7 2011 by Liza Williams, Heswall News

SURGERY at two Wirral hospitals is set to be reorganised as part of a plan to save up to £330,000.

Operating theatre departments at Arrowe Park and Clatterbridge Hospitals would merge under the proposal.

But staff are angry about the idea, which could see up to 10 job losses.

Under the plan, both hospitals would keep their own theatres, but staff would work across the sites and shift patterns merged.

One worker said: “There are no management posts going and we are going to be left with more work with the staff reductions. Some people will be downgraded.

“it is just yet another blow in terms of staff morale.”

NHS bosses said the restructure was needed to make services more flexible. A spokeswoman added it was hoped staff numbers could be reduced through “natural wastage”, not compulsory redundancy.

Staff are being offered voluntary severance.

The plan does not affect Clatterbridge Centre for Oncology, which is a separate trust.

Papers seen by the Wirral News read: “The merger of the two theatre departments allows for a more structured approach to the management of staff and rosters, allowing greater flexibility.

“The impact is likely to be a reduction of between six and 10 whole-time equivalent staff of various grades.

“The reduction will enable a cost improvement of between £170,000 and £330,000 to be achieved.”

A spokeswoman for Wirral Hospitals NHS Trust said: “Theatre staff work as one team but are currently based primarily at either Arrowe Park Hospital or Clatterbridge Hospital.

“The Trust proposes to introduce slightly more flexible working across the two hospital sites to achieve efficiencies and maximise the use of the theatres.

“It is anticipated this could result in a reduction in posts but these will be managed through natural wastage.

“There will be no redundancies and no reduction in theatres.”

The hospital trust was recently highlighted as having the longest patient waiting times for the 18-week target from referral to treatment.