HOSPITAL staff last night warned patients’ lives could be put at risk if the number of medical secretaries is cut.
Around 70 medical secretaries and 20 clinicians gathered at a union meeting after it was revealed that Southport and Ormskirk Hospital NHS Trust want to cut at least a dozen jobs.
The trust wants to reduce the number of highly skilled “Band 4” secretaries, who often make crucial decisions about patient care, including reviewing test results.
The remaining support staff would be placed into a pool of lower “Band 3” general admin secretaries and eventually move on to a reduced salary.
Tim Ellis, regional officer for Unison told the Daily Post: “Consultants and medical secretaries are concerned with the proposals which will impact on standards of patient care, clinical risk and efficiency.”
Mr Ellis added that it could be extremely dangerous and damaging to frontline services.
“If these jobs are cut this could lead consultants to reduce their clinical time. But if they maintain their work load they are at greater risk of error because they don’t have the support of their secretaries.”
