Union calls on NHS Lanarkshire to "kick profit out of care"

Public service union UNISON has called on a health board to “kick profit out of care” and transfer all patients in a private provider’s specialist unit, which is closing, to council or NHS facilities.

Private care home giants HC-One announced it was terminating its contract with NHS Lanarkshire to provide care to dementia patients at a specialist unit at Hatton Lea, Bellshill because their accommodation was no longer “fit for purpose” and had to be rebuilt.

The NHS is now making arrangements to provide the hospital based complex clinical care services in-house rather than contracting to another private provider.

Katrina Murray, secretary of the Lanarkshire Health Branch of UNISON said “What is happening here is an example of why private providers should not be providing services funded by the NHS. As soon as it is no longer profitable for them, they throw in the towel.

“UNISON as a trade union is strongly opposed to the use of private providers providing public services and in many cases making substantial profits out of public funds There is no place for profiteering out of the needs of vulnerable patients.

“We are fully behind UNISON’s campaign to kick profit out of care and to bring all these privatised services back in-house.

“We are reassured at plans by NHS Lanarkshire to develop a suitable in-house model to be delivered by NHS Lanarkshire to accommodate the affected patients.

“However, at the same time, some of the patients may no longer need hospital based complex clinical care and will have to be moved to alternative accommodation suitable for their needs and there is a very high possibility this will be in the private, for-profit sector, despite the fact that much of that care will be publicly funded.”

UNISON urged the health board to identify ways that such services could be provided by the public sector to ensure every penny was spent where it was needed, providing care and paying staff a decent pay rate with no element leaking into the profits of private providers, or to their inflated costs or creative accounting methods which minimised tax liabilities.

A spokesperson for University Health & Social Care North Lanarkshire said: “HC-One Scotland has served notice on the contract for the Hospital Based Complex Clinical Care service at Hatton Lea care home.

“We are carrying out full reviews of each patient’s care needs and will be fully involving families/carers throughout these reviews.

"Everyone’s overriding priority is ensuring patients’ continued safety, and supporting them and their families/carers through this process.

“Work is well underway to rapidly identify a replacement service in a comfortable and homely in-house environment.”

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