MERSEYSIDE NHS Trust services are set to be out sourced to the private sector, in a seven-year contract worth up to £27m, the Daily Post can reveal.

Global consultancy giant Capita Symonds has been selected as the preferred partner to run payroll, recruitment and HR services for 12 healthcare organisations.

The deal, a first of its kind in the NHS, is due to be signed off by each individual Trust board at hospitals including Royal Liverpool and Broadgreen. Up to 150 staff will be transferred to a shared service centre.

The union, Unison, last night opposed the privatisation bid, voicing fears that Capita will look to make redundancies.

Regional organiser Paul Summers said he anticipated the loss of around 30 posts, and had yet to be assured that job losses would be averted.

He said: “Capita are not going to run this service out of any goodwill to the NHS, they are running it to make money. We fear the way they will do that is by cutting staff levels.

“Why would you employ 13 payroll managers to run one service? It stands to reason that there will be potential compulsory redundancies.

“Many of these staff have worked in the NHS for years, and they want to remain in the NHS. Why should taxpayers’ money go into the pockets of private companies?

“It is wrong to privatise parts of the NHS”.