Say ‘No’ to privatisation of NHS finance functions, putting 84 jobs on the line

We are NHS staff in the Finance department working in Accounts Payable, Pay Services, Financial Systems, Treasury, VAT Team, Transactional Procurement and Accounts Receivable. We are responsible for 22,000+ NUH staff wages to be paid correctly and on time. We make sure that procurement runs smoothly so all equipment and necessary items for the functioning of the Trust is purchased when needed, and that all trading arrangements are met by honouring the payment of invoices. Every day, we work with teams across the Trust and help our colleagues in other departments to fulfil their financial duties. When our NHS colleagues need support with understanding their pay or pensions, we make meaningful time to explain and advise.

In April 2024, the Trust Board told us that we are going to be outsourced to Shared Business Services. Pay Services were told they are going to be transferred by October 2024 with the others to follow by April 2025. We are shocked that the Trust wants to divide us from the rest of our NHS family. We are integral to the NHS and our work cannot be seen as something that can be separated from it. We have been told that after being transferred over to SBS, jobs cuts will ensue, and further redundancies will follow.

We are coming together in our union, UNISON, and organising to stop this harmful decision that is not only impacting us but other colleagues, the NHS, and the public. We fear that we are the initial trial of a series of departments to be outsourced in a short-sighted attempt to make NUH’s finances look better at the expense of a publicly owned NHS. We ask our NHS colleagues, patients, and service users to please support our campaign to stop this impulsive attempt at privatisation, putting jobs at risk and services on the line.