Up to 500 NHS England staff could be fired without compensation when the body is merged with the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) next year, because many overseas nationals are barred from working in the civil service.
The issue, which MiP says “has been known about” since the start of the merger process, arises because civil service rules only allow nationals from the UK, Ireland, the Commonwealth and the European Economic Area to work for Whitehall departments, while the NHS can employ any staff permitted to work under UK immigration rules.
Staff caught by the rules would not qualify for redundancy pay and some could face deportation if their visa status is dependent on their employment.
“These are serious concerns but NHS England and DHSC still have not set out a clear and workable solution for affected staff. The uncertainty is causing significant anxiety and distress,” said MiP chief executive Jon Restell.
Restell added that the situation reflected continuing uncertainty about the wider merger process, including future terms and conditions and protections for NHSE staff transferring into the civil service. “Staff need clarity urgently in order to make informed decisions about their futures,” he said.
MiP says regulation alone will not improve the NHS culture around raising and acting on concerns, following the findings of the Thirlwall Inquiry into the Lucy Letby case.
TUC Congress has backed a motion calling for an evidence-based and fully resourced plan for NHS management, with unions warning that cutting management capacity risks shifting essential work onto clinical teams.
The Scottish Government has announced plans to radically restructure the NHS, replacing Scotland’s 14 territorial health boards with two new ‘Strategic Health Boards’ covering the west and east of the country.
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