Infirmary staff fear job losses

Date published: 27/07/2007

After the news broke that the decision on whether or not to close certain services at Rochdale Infirmary had been further delayed, Councillor Jean Ashworth, who works at the Infirmary and has been one of the mainstays of the campaign to save services, has said that such action has led to increased fear of severe job losses amongst Infirmary staff.

Councillor Ashworth says that the delayed decision could be a good thing if it leads to a change of heart and the Infirmary's A&E and childcare wards are saved. She said: "I personally think it is better that we wait  and ensure the issues we have so strongly raised in Rochdale for all of our  surrounding areas are looked at in depth and welcome the delay, hopefully knowing we have made an impact and shown that these services are very much needed."

However, Councillor Ashworth has seen during her daily work at the hospital that this course of action, taken personally by Government Health Secretary Alan Johnson, puts a further delay on whether or not nurses or staff will lose their jobs. She said: "I can appreciate these young nurses need security, they have families with mortgages and bills to pay. It is a shame to say that nobody working for the NHS has security at the moment. We receive the same information as every one else does, we are left in limbo not knowing if the job we chose to do, to serve and care for the people of Rochdale, is a worthwhile profession anymore."

Councillor Ashworth believes that no matter how the proposals for health in Greater Manchester might look on paper, the theory is not going to work if it is put into practice in Rochdale. She has made a personal plea to Health Secretary Johnson to save Rochdale's services: "Mr Alan Johnson please listen to us as we are not easily replaced; it takes years to train our qualified nurses up, yet sadly only a minute to lose them!   

"When I joined this trust in 1979 I like many of my colleagues took on a job for life because I cared and wil never stop caring."