Mental health services are in the forefront of cuts to NHS staff,
says Unite
24 February 2011
The coalition has been accused of ‘playing fast-and-loose’ with
the truth by Unite, the largest union in the country, in attempting
to deny the scale of cuts to mental health services.
Unite, which embraces the Mental Health Nurses Association
(MHNA), rejected ‘totally and absolutely’ the Department of
Health’s (DH) claim that unions were scare-mongering about the
scale of the cuts.
This follows the expose by the False Economy website which said
that confirmed and planned job cuts across the NHS stood at
53,000.
Channel 4 News reported that some of the deepest cuts will hit
some of the most vulnerable people – in mental health services. In
total, 6,346 jobs could be at risk across the 53 mental health
trusts, with a high proportion of the jobs on the clinical, rather
than management, side.
Unite professional officer, Dave Munday, said today (Thursday 24
February): ”Our members and officials have given first hand
accounts to DH officials, MPs and ministers of cases of health
trusts across England that are cutting frontline nurses’ posts
now.
”It is irrelevant to people with serious mental health problems
whether the nurses who support them are retiring, taking a career
break or are being sacked. It still means less care when we know
that due to the government’s imposed austerity measures, mental
health problems are set to rise.
”Mental health services are seen as a ‘soft target’ because
often people using these services either can’t or daren’t speak up
for themselves.”
Dave Munday added: ”The coalition’s promise that the NHS was
safe in its hands is simply not true. Ministers are playing
fast-and-loose with the truth. Unite totally rejects the DH’s
assertion that the unions are scare-mongering.”
Earlier this month, Unite/MHNA criticised plans by health
secretary, Andrew Lansley, to scrap research into mental health as
being ‘a very short sighted and ill-advised move’.
ENDS
Notes to news editors:
For further information, please contact, Unite’s communications
officer, Shaun Noble on 07768 693940
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