Jobs loss blow for West Yorkshire hospice

The Moortown Hospice has today unveiled proposals for a “staff restructure” after an internal review to look at where the hospice could save money.

It is unclear how many redundancies will be made.

Chief executive Kerry Jackson stressed that patient care would be unaffected by any changes, which are now going through consultation.

She said: “We are all aware that the national and local economic climate is challenging. Many organisations are facing testing times and the economy is still very uncertain. Raising income in 2012-13 has been challenging. Thanks to our valued supporters our income has remained stable, but rising costs make it more difficult to achieve financial balance.”

She said the hospice’s leadership team’s review examined whether money was being spent wisely and highlighted some areas within the organisation which could work more efficiently.

Ms Jackson said: “Our proposals for consultation do include some restructuring and some redundancies. A consultation period with staff is now underway. No final decisions have been made at this stage and we are looking at every possibility.”

The YP understands the main areas for proposed changes are in the hospice’s chain of charity shops, in estates and facilities and in support services.

Hospice chiefs are also proposing to restructure the nursing department to look at more flexible shift patterns and the introduction of ‘long days’ - 12.5 hour shifts.

The hospice stressed the nurse to patient ratio will remain the same and the quality of care will continue at the highest standards.

A notice to all staff read: “We appreciate that this will be a difficult time for many and the hospice is committed to supporting all staff members through the process.”

Ms Jackson said: “I would like to reassure people that the hospice is not at risk but we may need to make some changes to secure our important care for the future. The best interests of our patients and their families will be at the heart of any changes that we make.”

She added: “Our priority at St Gemma’s is the provision of expert care for our patients and their families. We have been providing our high quality services to the people of Leeds and beyond for 35 years. This is thanks to the local community and our valued supporters for their ongoing contributions towards our vital work. We could not do it without them.”