Bradford Teaching Hospitals Foundation Trust are setting up a 'Wholly-owned subsidiary' (private company) that will be owned by the Trust but not by the NHS.

Once it is set up they plan on transferring all NHS staff from non clinical departments into the wholly owned company. Once transferred out all staff will lose their NHS status of which they are proud.

As the wholly owned subsidiary will be operating outside of the NHS public structure it will have its own board of directors and chief executive.
The Trust has tried to defended the decision as 'an alternative model of outsourcing' and a way to claim back VAT.
In reality this is privatisation by the back door.

Whilst the Trust has put forward proposals to staff that their NHS terms and conditions will be protected this cannot be guaranteed after the statutory TUPE date. At this point the Trust can change their pay grades as well as pension contributions.

It would create a two-tier workforce as new employees will have less security, worse terms and conditions, holiday rights, sick pay and no access to an NHS pension.
The new company failing or going bust would result in all employees and public assets that were transferred being lost to the NHS for good as the wholly owned subsidiary is not owned by the NHS.

This could have a disastrous effect on the running of the Hospital and patient care as there simply would not be enough staff to run the place.

At some stage in the future, the new organisation will be at risk of an aggressive buyout which will remove all once publicly owned assets building and land transferred with it into profiteers’ hands, forever
If BTHFT’s plans for backdoor privatisation are passed without being challenged it will be the beginning of the end of our NHS.
This is a public service that is owned by every member of society. It is a public funded and is an asset to the UK.
We can not stand by while the BTHFT temporary chief executive and board of directors treat it as their own play thing.
We call for:

• A public consultation with members of the public and local members of parliament.

• Bradford Teaching Hospitals Foundation Trust to immediately halt the establishment of a ‘wholly-owned Company’ to cover estates and support staff.

• Immediately stop diverting public money and resources in to the setting up of the ‘wholly-owned company’.

• Oppose the creation of a two-tier workforce through new starters being employed on worse pay, terms or conditions, or attacks on those of existing staff.

• A public inquiry into the setting up of the company and the cost to the taxpayers.

• Bradford councillors should utilise their health scrutiny powers to challenge these proposals as it is not in the public’s best interests