KINGSTON HOSPITAL JOBS CUTS – 20% STAFF AXED
UNISON RESPONSE
THURSDAY 17 FEBRUARY 2011
Commenting on the news that Kingston Hospital NHS Trust is set to cut 486 posts over five years, including 214 nurses and 20 medical staff - 20% of the total workforce,
Dave Prentis, UNISON General Secretary, said:
“This is a terrible day for patients in London, who have found out they stand to lose nearly 1000 health workers.
This nails the lie that the frontline will be protected, more than 200 nurses at Kingston Hospital will lose their jobs. “Tory claims to be the party of the NHS are nothing but a sham – how is this hospital supposed to keep on running with 20% fewer staff? “The job cuts at Kingston are a direct result of Lansley’s plans to hand over funding to GPs, so this deeply worrying pattern of hospital job cuts will be repeated across the country.
It’s time for the Tories to put the breaks on the reforms, and start thinking about patients.”
Nora Pearce, UNISON rep at Kingston Hospital, said:
“This is terrible news for staff and for people living in Kingston. All through the election we were told that the health service would not suffer frontline cuts – but now my hospital is set to lose more than 200 nurses.
This government is ripping the heart out of the NHS. “Ed Davey MP, and Nick Clegg both used the hospital as a backdrop during their election campaigns, but where are they now when we need their support?”
Michael Walker UNISON Regional Officer; Said:
"We will not hesitate to fight every cut to the NHS in Kingston, we look forward to working with local MP's and Councillors to oppose cuts, NHS cuts, that when they were in opposition they wholeheartedly opposed"