Staff criticise domiciliary care outsourcing proposals
Domiciliary care insurance
2nd February 2009
Domiciliary care staff employed by the Northern Health and Social Care Trust have criticised plans to outsource home care work to private firms.
Many employees fear their jobs and the quality of services will be threatened by the proposal which comes as part of the trust's Comprehensive Spending Review.
An anonymous care worker described the move as "a disgrace".
The employee told the Newtownabbey Times newspaper: "The Trust say they're going to provide improved home care and domiciliary care services for people, yet they're planning to cut our jobs and put them out to private companies."
Unison, the trade union representing the domiciliary care staff, has launched a campaign against the Northern Trust's modernisation plans.
In related news, Communitycare.co.uk reports that the provision of around-the-clock domiciliary care for Pennine Housing's Extra Care Housing Scheme went out for tender last month.
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