NHS in Leicestershire accused of ‘back door privatisation’

Full Story in Harborough Mail 26 March 2018
Campaigners have accused University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust (UHL) of “back door privatisation” after it has announced plans for a spin-off company to employ staff working in areas such as cleaning and maintenance.
UHL will create a subsidiary company, owned by the hospital NHS Trust, in a bid to save money and reduce deficits.
It says the move will see around £5million invested in the trust’s cleaning and maintenance services and will mean that the appearance of the trust’s buildings will also be improved.
But Campaign Against NHS Privatisation Leicestershire (CANP) and the Leicester Mercury Patients’ Panel have raised concerns about the plans to set up a Facilities Management Partnership (FMP) and say that up to 1,700 staff out of the 15,000 that work for Leicester’s Hospitals could be affected by the move.