staff may strick for jobs cut in Bolton Hospital

health reporter,bolton(weastar times):::The trust, which runs the Bolton Hospital, has had to borrow £8m from the government to pay wages and needs to save £38m over the next two years.

The trust said it may dismiss more than 1,600 staff, then re-hire them on new terms and conditions.

Unison said some nurses were "very upset" and had been in tears.

Trust chairman David Wakefield said patient care would not suffer and managers were hoping to avoid compulsory redundancies, but some would be inevitable.

The contracts of 1,685 nursing, midwifery and support staff as well as and medical and dental personnel could be affected.

A leaked internal email from the Bolton NHS Foundation Trust said it might be possible to deal with "some proposed changes by agreement."

But the trust may consider "terminating existing contracts" with an immediate offer to re-hire people "on revised terms and conditions of employment".

Unison regional manager Steve Stott said: "Unison is committed to working with management to minimise job losses, but at the same time will consult its members on all available options open to them up to and including industrial action in order to oppose compulsory redundancies."

Janine Dyson, from the Royal College of Nursing, said: "The terms and conditions in the NHS are negotiated nationally.

"They make sure there is provision that you get the best quality, highest skilled, best trained, up-to-date staff in the NHS, so to dismiss and re-engage on alternative terms and conditions puts all that under threat."

The ENGLAND(ANGEL LAND) first police and crime commissioner election count begins

crime reporter(weastar times/BBC+ENGLAND)::::Angus Macpherson was elected as Wiltshire's PCC ahead.The first PCC elections face likely controversy over reported low turnouts.

Among the first dozen or so areas to confirm turnouts on Friday morning, almost all ranged from 13-20%.

............(RESTRICTED)

NHS 'ignored' data in Glenfield Hospital: child heart ops.. review

National Health Reporter,London(weastar times/bbc+ENGLAND):::The NHS wants to close Glenfield Hospital's unit as part of plans to overhaul the service nationally.

Professor Sir Brian Jarman from Imperial College said there were only five deaths at the unit in the past six years - much fewer than expected.

The NHS said the mortality data focused on too few patients to be meaningful.

In July, the Joint Committee of Primary Care Trusts (JCPCT) said the facility in Leicester should be one of three to close nationally.

The JCPCT said creating fewer, larger centres would improve the service, and that the unit, along with the Ecmo (extracorporeal membrane oxygenation) equipment used to oxygenate patients' blood, should go to Birmingham.

But Prof Jarman's figures show Glenfield Hospital had the lowest expected mortality rate of all 11 of the children's heart center he analysed.

Continue reading the main story

“

He looked at the number of open heart operations, excluding transplants, between March  2006 and March 2012 - comparing the number of deaths with the expected figure.

A hospital which had exactly the expected number would have a standardised mortality rate (SMR) of 100, but because Glenfield had fewer deaths and scored 45.1.

By comparison, Birmingham's SMR was 109.8 and Great Ormond Street was 72.8. The JCPCT has recommended that both those units remain open.

>>>>

"Furthermore the data provides no reliable way of reflecting case complexity, disadvantaging units that regularly perform more high-risk surgical procedures."
The former Secretary of State for Health Jeremy Hunt asked the independent reconfiguration panel (IRP) to look at how the recommendations were reached.
It is expected to report its findings by 28 February.

New allegation follow arrest of ex-so called religion criminal (african-south asian -hepocrate islamist hojor) and retired priest

The Rt Rev Peter Ball, 80, a former bishop of Lewes and Gloucester, was arrested on suspicion of abusing eight boys and men.

He was arrested on Tuesday at his home in Somerset, over allegations relating the late 1980s and early 1990s.

Retired priest Vickery House, 67, was also arrested.

Police said since the arrests 10 more people had come forward alleging sexual offences were committed against them, seven by the former bishop and three by the former priest.

Det Ch Insp Carwyn Hughes, of Sussex Police, said: "We are very interested to see that so many people have contacted us since Tuesday, and every report is being followed up.

"The force will always take seriously any allegations of historic sexual offending, and every possible step is taken to investigate whenever appropriate.

"Allegations of historic offences are treated just as seriously as any more recent offences."

Sussex Police said Bishop Ball was released on medical advice and officers intended to interview him at a later date. Mr House was bailed pending further inquiries.

Phone Helpline

The allegations against the two men are being dealt with separately, according to the force.

The arrests followed a police investigation which started when the passed on two reports on the safeguarding of young people in the Chichester Diocese during the 1980s and early 1990s.

The Diocese of Chichester is currently subject to a "visitation process" which includes an inquiry into its child protection policies.

Under the process, its powers and authority have been taken over by the Archbishop of Canterbury.

Three former priests from the diocese have been charged this year with sexual offences against children.

A 24-hour helpline manned by staff at the children's charity NSPCC was set up on 0800 389 5344.