No bonus for Staff in Wiltshire Community Hospitals 9 months after the government announced a pay award for one million NHS staff.

No bonus for Staff in Wiltshire Community Hospitals 9 months after the government announced a pay award for one million NHS staff. 

Wiltshire NHS Workers have been unfairly treated by service contract system outside their control. 

Staff at our community hospitals in Chippenham, Devizes, Melksham, Savernake, Trowbridge and Warminster only discovered a misleading contractual arrangement when they did not receive the bonus awarded to NHS staff last May. Yesterday many of them felt the need to come out on strike  to highlight their disappointment at the tardiness of the DHSC (Department for Health and Social Care) to address the issue. 

Sarah Gibson, Liberal Democrat Parliamentary candidate met with the striking staff at Chippenham Community Hospital on Tuesday. Yesterday Sarah spoke with  the Managing Director of WHC. 

She said “Hard-working Health Service staff feel cheated that a misleading contractual arrangement is denying them bonuses that were paid to other health service staff last May.”

Sarah said “This is yet another example of people being let down by this government. Staff at the community hospitals and in the community are providing essential services. Many of them have been part of the NHS for many years, proudly wearing an NHS uniform. When I spoke to nurses, physiotherapists and members of the community healthcare teams yesterday they felt let down, misled and neglected by the NHS”

“Having spoken to Ms Carvill, Managing Director of WHC, I know she understands their frustration and is pressing the DHSC to redress this failure to provide funding for all essential health care workers. If staff under these  contracts providing services on behalf of the NHS are not treated fairly, then we cannot expect them to continue to provide the excellent care they do.”

“Our community, like many across the UK is “grinding to a halt” under the pressure of a growing NHS backlog for treatment, with 48% waiting more than 18 weeks last year at the RUH in Bath. Without the essential work by the health care teams in our community hospitals and for patients in their own homes, this will only get worse”

Sarah adds that she has written to NHS England and to the Department for Health and Social care urging them to support the application by Wiltshire Health and Care to provide the funding for this much deserved bonus. Staff here should have received this last May were it not for a misleading contract system.. 

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