OUTSOURCING
Merseyside is the testing ground for a major outsourcing deal involving a collaborative deal between almost all of the region’s NHS Trusts. Adam Hewitt reports.
P
ayroll, recruitment and HR services across 11 NHS organisations in Mer-
seyside are being outsourced to Capita in a deal worth up to £27m – the fi rst of its kind in the NHS.
Southport and Ormskirk Hospital NHS Trust, however, pulled out of the deal at the beginning of August, with its board decid- ing to keep its HR and payroll services in- house.
Staff transfer
Up to 150 staff are being transferred to a shared service centre in Liverpool as the contract is rolled out over the second half of this year. The Trusts involved have wel- comed the fact that jobs are being kept in the Merseyside region.
There is an option to extend the contract by a further three years.
Raj Jain, who chairs NHS North Mersey HR collaboration, said: “As a part of the na- tional QIPP programme, NHS trusts across North Merseyside are working together to make the local healthcare system more ef- fi cient, so as to ensure that we provide the very best service for patients.
“This deal with Capita exemplifi es this partnered approach in order to modern- ise services and make savings. I hope that over the course of the partnership more NHS trusts across the Northwest will buy into the framework and take advantage of the expected savings generated from out- sourcing their HR, payroll or recruitment functions.”
should not “go into the pockets of private companies”.
Raj Jain A fi rst for the NHS
Alan Bailey, managing director for Capita’s HR business, added: “This is the fi rst time NHS trusts have come together in this way to collectively outsource their HR, payroll and recruitment functions.
“As a result of this landmark agreement, the trusts will gain access to Capita’s broader HR expertise and investment in order to achieve a modern and cost-effec- tive service. This will better enable NHS trusts in Mersey to focus on the important task of treating patients and delivering a high quality health service to the local com- munity.”
Capita Symonds has been selected as the preferred partner for the collaboration. It has to be signed off by each individual NHS Trust board – with only Southport and Ormskirk Hospital NHS Trust so far rejecting the plan.
Job fears
Unison, which represents the healthcare staff, has come out against the privatisa- tion deal, arguing that Capita will make redundancies and that taxpayers’ money
Alan Bailey
Paul Summers, Unison regional organiser, explained: “The payroll and transactional HR staff ensure that the doctors, nurses, paramedics and other vital NHS staff re- ceive their pay and other administrative services. This is simply a cost-cutting meas- ure and jobs are feared. We have received no information from NHS Trusts or Capita on assurances that no jobs will be lost.
“Many of these staff have worked in the NHS for years and they want to remain in the NHS. Why should taxpayers’ money go into the pockets of private companies? It is wrong and it is also wrong to privatise parts of the NHS.”
The deal will be handled under the usual transfer of undertakings (TUPE) provi- sions, protecting employees’ terms and conditions when they are transferred from one organisation to another, including con- tinuity of service agreements and all exist- ing rights.
Capita Symonds is one of the biggest com- panies operating in the UK public sector, having taken on more than 1,000 staff through similar transfers – ‘strategic part- nerships’ – since 2001. It works across lo- cal government too, running, for example, Sefton council’s technical services depart- ment in the Merseyside region. Other NHS Trusts could yet decide to join the NHS North Mersey HR collaboration.
FOR MORE INFORMATION Visit
www.capitaresourcing.co.uk national health executive Jul/Aug 11 | 49
© Red Z Design
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80 |
Page 81 |
Page 82 |
Page 83 |
Page 84