Vital mental health services in Derby and Derbyshire are to be run by a private company in an outsourcing deal worth more than £65m.
The decision means around 80 long-serving staff, mainly working in administration and as therapists, will be transferred from the NHS-operated Derbyshire Healthcare Foundation Trust to London-based private provider Vita Health Solutions. This move risks disrupting key services and the quality of care patients have come to rely upon, warns UNISON.
The union is calling on the local integrated care board to reconsider its decision and ensure that the Talking Therapies services remain firmly within the NHS.
UNISON East Midlands regional organiser James Olner said: “The decision to award the contract to a Vita Health Solutions is a huge loss for the NHS. It could result in a worse service for patients and a bad deal for experienced staff.
“The NHS functions better when all health staff work as one team. Care bosses in Derbyshire must listen to dedicated healthcare workers and rethink this decision before it’s too late.”
