BATH and North East Somerset Council could ask the government to block “privatisation by the back door” at the Royal United Hospital (RUH).

The NHS trust, part of the BSW Hospitals Group, is planning to transfer its hundreds of “bank” workers, who pick up flexible shifts to cover staff absences or increased demand on the NHS, to a private company. Campaigners have warned the move would be worse for staff and patients.

The issue is set to be formally discussed at a council scrutiny panel on Monday, May 18 after which the council could formally ask the secretary of state for health to intervene. Council leader Kevin Guy told the Local Democracy Reporting Service: “Privatisation through the back door is short termism. It will not save the NHS money. Actually, it will cost more in the long run.”

The Liberal Democrat leader said he planned to meet with the RUH’s chief executive and the chairman of the board as soon as possible.

The issue was brought before the B&NES full council meeting on Thursday, May 14, by former RUH governor Nicola James and the hospital’s Unison branch secretary Baz Harding-Clark. Mr Harding-Clark told the meeting: “This is privatisation by stealth. Nobody is openly announcing it but, step by step, staff and functions are being moved out of the NHS into private hands.”

He said that bank staff were “the glue that holds our service together.”

The transfer of bank staff to private company Pulse will take place on August 1. Pay is not expected to be affected under the plan, but staff would stop receiving an NHS employer pension contribution of 23.7 percent and instead receive an employer contribution of around 6 percent. This could mean healthcare workers would lose tens of thousands of pounds in retirement income.

The council has the power, under section 66 of the NHS Act, to formally request the secretary of state to intervene, although councillors were told they could not do this immediately at the council meeting.

Newly elected chair of the council Cllr Shaun Stephenson-McGall told councillors: “If we need to have an emergency full council meeting, I am sure that can be called if the group leaders and members of the council think that is necessary.”

BSW Hospitals Group said it should have communicated its decision better, but that it had followed the correct process. A spokesperson for the group said: “Throughout the process to outsource the temporary staffing service we engaged with partners that included our staff-side trade unions, workers and employees in line with our statutory obligations to consult.

“The programme of work created multiple opportunities for all stakeholders to review proposals, ask questions, and provide feedback.

“With the benefit of hindsight, we have acknowledged that communication with the local authority scrutiny panel could have been more efficient.

“We are committed to supporting all affected workers and will make every effort to ensure a smooth transition to the new provider. We also encourage bank workers, where appropriate, to apply for suitable substantive roles as they become available.”