Suffolk Keep Our NHS Public critcises East Suffolk and North Essex NHS Foundation Trust privatising catering and portering services

An NHS trust which runs hospitals in Suffolk has defended its decision to privatise housekeeping and security services after it was criticised by a campaign group.

The group, Suffolk Keep Our NHS Public (KONP), said East Suffolk and North Essex NHS Foundation Trust (ESNEFT) should ‘own up to the real reason’ it has chosen to privatise services.

All soft facilities management services including security, portering, housekeeping and catering will be outsourced to private company Sodexo, starting in April.

KONP said documents, obtained through a Freedom of Information (FOI) request, show that keeping the services in-house would be less expensive than privatising them.

The group said the proposal to outsource the services had been ‘shrouded in secrecy’ for two years.

It believes the decision was made because the trust ‘realised that they are just not up to the job’.

ESNEFT said the services have been provided by an external partner at Ipswich Hospital since 1995.

Services have remained in-house at Colchester Hospital, also run by the trust, Felixstowe Hospital, Aldeburgh Hospital and Bluebird Lodge, in Ipswich.

In December, the trust’s board agreed to privatise services across both sites and a contract, starting in April, has been given to Sodexo.

A spokeswoman for ESNEFT said the decision of the trust board was unanimous and would mean a consistent approach across all of its sites.

She said: “Following rigorous scrutiny and discussion, this decision was based on a wide range of factors, including the risks, opportunities and costs of the options presented at a special meeting of the board on December 5, 2024.

“The board also took into account the views of staff representatives and those managing soft facilities services in reaching a decision which it considers will best support delivery of the benefits and continuous improvement which patients and local people rightly expect.”

In November, more than 350 workers employed at Colchester Hospital, Aldeburgh Hospital and other community sites run by ESNEFT staged a three-week strike.

UNISON

The union UNISON said this was due to staff fears that privatisation of the services would threaten their pay and conditions and pose a serious risk to patient safety.

Caroline Hennessy, UNISON Eastern head of health, said: “Outsourcing the trust’s staff was not in the best interests of patients, staff or anyone who relies on its services. Instead of trying to manage the in-service team, the board took the easy way out and chose to privatise them.”

ESNEFT has outlined a timetable for the transfer of the services to Sodexo.

A spokeswoman said this approach meant the trust could provide better support to each of the three areas as they transfer.

When will each area transfer to Sodexo?

At Colchester Hospital services will transfer to Sodexo from April 1.

- Services at community hospitals will transfer from May 1.

- At Ipswich Hospital, services will remain with current provider OCS until June 30, transferring to Sodexo from July 1. The existing contract with OCS has been extended.

For just £24.89 for 12 months, you can access digital editions of the Bury Free Press, Haverhill Echo, Newmarket Journal and Suffolk Free Press and the ad-lite SuffolkNews website.

Visit https://www.suffolknews.co.uk/subscribe/ and use code SNBRIEFING.