Published at 11:06, Thursday, 05 April 2012

HOSPITAL staff claim they are facing pay cuts totalling up to £11,000 a year as part of a controversial shake-up of pathology services.

They had until the end of last week to sign up to the new deal. If they refuse they could potentially be sacked and offered new jobs under the new terms.

It is understood that not all of the members have agreed to the new deal.

The review affects about 18 pathology and blood sciences staff at the West Cumberland Hospital and about the same number at the Cumberland Infirmary in Carlisle.

These staff carry out essential services, such as testing for infections and cancers.

Bosses say the changes are part of national attempts to bring NHS pay into line. And they stress that no dismissal action will be taken until after a further consultation.

Staff say they face losing their night-shift payments in favour of much lower unsocial hours rates. At the same time, many are being downgraded and facing salary cuts.

One pathology worker, who was too afraid to be named due to threats of disciplinary action, said: “Although we aren’t treated like it, we are frontline staff. Without us the hospital closes and without night shifts you couldn’t run 24-hour A&E, maternity or intensive care services.

“Many of us are being downgraded and also losing our night-shift payments, which are on top of our salaries. Meanwhile, the cost of living is going up. We have mortgages to pay and families to support and just can’t afford this kind of pay cut. Everyone’s morale is at an all-time low.”

Sean Gibson, of health union Unison, said the salary changes were part of a review similar to those in nursing and midwifery. The union has called on bosses to halt these reviews until the new trust has taken over.

He said night-shift payments were being reviewed separately, on a local level, as part of the national NHS Agenda for Change review. But he said pathology staff had no choice but to work night shifts, so any payments cuts were unfair.

A spokeswoman for North Cumbria University Hospitals NHS Trust, which runs both hospitals, said the review was part of the final phase of its pathology reconfiguration – which has seen changes to laboratory services on both hospital sites in line with national models.

She said changes to shift patterns was a separate issue affecting all trusts in England.

Published by http://www.whitehavennews.co.uk