U.K.: NHS PAY CHAOS

Town halls and National Health Service trusts face having to pay out more than 1 billion pounds as tens of thousands of women workers embark on equal pay claims. Nearly 20,000 health workers could be eligible for payments averaging 60,000 pounds each, according to specialists in employment law. And at least 8,000 council workers in England and Wales have lodged claims with tribunals which, if successful, would be worth an average of 15,000 pounds each.

The multi-million-pound bills could leave some NHS trusts, which already have deficits totalling an estimated 800 million, on the brink of insolvency, while councils will be forced to raise their council taxes or take out large loans. John Prescott's Office of the Deputy Prime Minister (ODPM) has refused to bail out councils while Patricia Hewitt's health department insists it is not setting aside contingency funds for potential bills.

The women want the same pay as male workers who are on a similar pay scale. They will capitalise on a landmark 60 million payout made by an NHS trust last year and the fact that 11 councils in northeast England have already agreed settlements worth 100 million with some 30,000 women employees, who include cleaners, clerical staff, care assistants and catering workers.

Stefan Cross, a lawyer from the northeast whose firm is handling 16,000 claims, said: "This is a national scandal. All the fine words about equal pay haven't been translated into reality. For too long the government has relied upon women workers being paid far less than men." Despite the introduction of the equal pay act in 1970, women working full time still earn on average 17% less per hour than men.

The Convention of Scottish Local Authorities has estimated that equal pay claims will cost its members 560 million, while Hampshire county council is negotiating a multi-million-pound settlement with its women staff. The ODPM, however, is refusing to help councils foot the bill, insisting "the onus is on local government to resolve the issue of equal pay in an affordable manner".

Mick Brodie, chairman of the North East Regional Employers Organisation, said: "Whitehall needs to wake up and see we've got a crisis on our hands and give councils the support and resources they need. Local authorities are having to spend large sums of money they haven't got."

More than 1,500 women health workers in North Cumbria won 60 million in an equal pay battle last year. The nurses, health care assistants, clerical staff, porters and telephonists were each given payouts of between 35,000 and 200,000 pounds, which were backdated by up to six years. The Department of Health agreed to bail out the trust due to its "exceptional circumstances", but insisted it has no plans to pay for future claims against NHS trusts.

To co-ordinate the response of NHS trusts, the health department has expanded the role of the NHS litigation authority. The possible payouts come at a difficult time for the health service. Trusts are facing an estimated deficit of 1.2 billion, with wards closed, patients denied potentially life-saving drugs and tens of thousands of staff being laid off.

Source







AUSTRALIA: DON'T GET SICK IF YOU ARE IN THE ARMY

Yet another defence coverup, by any chance?

The Defence Force has sacked a nursing manager who questioned a delay in the arrival of an ambulance called to a suspected cardiac arrest. Anne Woodward was removed from her job as a senior civilian nurse at the Defence Force's Kapooka health centre near Wagga Wagga in NSW after querying a delay in treating an army recruit who had collapsed. Ms Woodward asked her boss why an ambulance called to transfer the man urgently to Wagga Wagga Base Hospital was forced to sign in at the front gates and was then escorted at slow speeds.

After six years as nurse manager at Kapooka, she was removed from her position on March 29 following an order from the centre's commanding officer. Ms Woodward was given no explanation at the time. She says she was given an hour to clean out her desk and was told military police would be called if she did not leave by that time. Kapooka commanding officer Lieutenant Colonel Paul Langworthy declined to comment yesterday and referred The Weekend Australian to the Defence media unit, which did not reply to a series of questions.

NSW Nurses Association acting secretary Judith Kiedja said Ms Woodward had worked at Kapooka since 2000 without incident before her sacking and had the strong backing of staff. Nurses at Kapooka are so irate they have signed a statement condemning army management and voicing "angst and disillusion". "We categorically state that Anne Woodward is the most proficient and respected leader that we have had the pleasure to work with," they said.

But Ms Kiedja said Defence Force management had refused to listen, relying on a technicality that Ms Woodward could be removed at any time because she was employed by a nursing agency, RED Alliance.

Source

***************************

For greatest efficiency, lowest cost and maximum choice, ALL hospitals and health insurance schemes should be privately owned and run -- with government-paid vouchers for the very poor and minimal regulation. Both Australia and Sweden have large private sector health systems with government reimbursement for privately-provided services so can a purely private system with some level of government reimbursement or insurance for the poor be so hard to do?

Comments? Email me here. If there are no recent posts here, the mirror site may be more up to date. My Home Page is here or here.

***************************