Birmingham and Solihull Mental Health Foundation Trust is forcing 160 maintenance and facilities workers from working in the NHS into the subsidiary, Summer Hill Services Ltd. Use of this type of subsidiary can reduce VAT payments, as NHS bodies must pay VAT but private bodies do not. Employees are taking protest action, which began at several sites from 24 June. There is the concern that this will threaten the safety of vulnerable mental health patients.
The transfer is likely to see new staff on worse contracts, plus cost-cutting and reorganisation that will result in a worse service for patients.
The transfer is set for that start of July.
Full article in The Socialist, 26 June 2019
