Public spending cuts could see health boards and councils being merged
HEALTH and council jobs in the Borders are at risk through a possible merger of departments to cut costs.
Areas where mergers and costs cuts are being considered are catering, recruitment, financial services, information technology, communications, Human Resources and capital planning.
NHS Borders has admitted that talks are ongoing with other health boards and councils including Scottish Borders Council.
"NHS Borders is continually working with partner agencies, both NHS and local authorities, especially Scottish Borders Council to identify whether, by combining our resources, we can improve our services and make these more efficient" said Calum Campbell, chief executive of NHS Borders.
"In order to protect our clinical services it is important to look across the public sector at what economies of scale can be achieved in our support service functions.
"Equally, in relation to clinical services, it is important that we work and plan as a region to ensure ongoing and sustainable services in light of the current financial pressures on the public sector.
"These discussions are ongoing although no decisions have been taken on any change to services.
"We will ensure any plans that are progressed best fit the needs of the local community and we will continue to engage with staff and stakeholders as we take this forward."
Details of the talks have been released in Lothian Health Board papers.
Eddie Egan, vice chairman of NHS Lothian and employee director, agreed the news would cause staff to worry about their jobs.
"It wil create anxiety," he said.
"I think there is already anxiety in the public sector because of the Government announcements in terms of public sector workers and public sector spend."
NHS Borders, NHS Lothian, NHS Fife, NHS Tayside and NHS Forth Valley will look at sharing more back-office departments and systems at a meeting later this month.
Possibilities are also being explored with the relevant councils and a report on progress is expected to be published before the end of November.
Mr Egan pointed out that there were five different HR directors and five different but repetitive HR policies across the five health board areas.
"You can maintain the function and quality in the public sector by doing it cheaper, by merging departments," he said.
David Forbes of trade union Unison, said providing there were no compulsory redundancies, no privatisation and standards for redeployment were met they were willing to consider the proposals.
"We recognise the need to be responsible and look at these things," he said. "There are certainly ways we should be working much more closely together and working more as one."
Mr Forbes said he envisaged boards maintaining their separate identities but increasingly merging behind the scenes.
However a spokeswoman for the British Medical Association said that this was not the time for "wholesale reorganisation and restructuring of the NHS".
"Where there are oppoortunities to merge some 'back-room' functions without affecting the day-to-day running of NHS services then these should be considered in more detail," she said.
In 2002, a review of the medical workforce for the Scottish Executive said the number of regional health boards in Scotland should be cut from 15 to three.
First Minister Jack McConnell sparked controversy when he agreed that there were "far too many health boards in Scotland." Discussions will continue.
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Weather for Duns
Thursday 17 May 2012
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