Support staff ‘cast aside’ unexpectedly after transfer to new NHS provider

The staff, who held NHS contracts, were part of an IT support and business intelligence service for GPs, commissioned by Bradford District and Craven Clinical Commissioning Group and run by services firm Kier Group.

Following a tender process, the contract for the service switched to a new provider, Calderdale and Huddersfield Foundation Trust, on 1 April, and around 150 staff transferred to the NHS trust.

However, 12 staff were told they were not required.

The employees and their union told HSJ they did not go through any formal redundancy process, and have not been paid their notice.

One senior employee, who wished to remain anonymous, said they were told to remotely report for duty on 1 April, but were then told they were not needed.

They said: “We’ve gone off a financial cliff-edge….It is a particularly bad time to register for any sort of benefit and all of the staff worked up until the end to support the transfer of work to a new provider. This is an extremely difficult situation to be in.”

The service was subcontracted to Kier from eMBED [formerly the Yorkshire and Humber Commissioning Support Unit].

Ruth Smith, who represents the region for the Managers in Partnership union, said: “It beggars belief that when people with expertise, talent and knowledge of NHS systems are needed more than ever to help us get through the covid-19 crisis as a nation, highly valuable members of staff such as these are being cast aside. Surely it should be ‘all hands to the pump’ to get us through this?”

Jason Eddleston, deputy director of workforce at Calderdale and Huddersfield FT said: “There were a number of queries in relation to a minority of individuals in the transferring group.”

He said the trust and CCG had held “extensive discussions over a long period of time” with the previous provider, and the “position has been clearly stated and fully explained in relation to this group”.

Kier said it had been liaising with the CCG and NHS England to ensure all eligible employees had continued employment under the new contract.

But a spokeswoman said: “There are unfortunately 12 individuals who have not been accepted for TUPE transfer by either the CCGs or new provider of the services to them.” 

She said this was “unacceptable for those affected” and argued it was against the “requirements and the spirit” of the relevant government guidance. 

Kier had proposed to transfer three of the 12 staff to the CCG, but a spokesman for Bradford District and Craven CCG said the proposal “did not meet the requirements as set out under the regulations”.