Vital services provided by the South London and Maudsley NHS Trust (SLaM) are at risk – and the local UNISON branch, working with London Health Emergency, has kicked off a campaign to resist these cuts.
Both Southwark PCT and Lambeth PCT have outlined plans which would cut a total of £6m
from mental health budgets this year, with a further £2m from Lambeth next year, and this
is forcing SLaM into cuts in vital front line services despite having balanced its books as a
Trust last year.
The cuts in SLaM could lead to the closure of the London wide 24 hour psychiatric service a the Maudsley – removing a vital service from the whole city. With job cuts and deficits across the country, I hope that UNISON’s National Executive, meeting tomorrow (12 July) will be discussing how we build a national campaign against job losses in health.
Meanwhile, staff at the North West London Hospitals Trust - which includes Central Middlesex and Northwick Park - have taken to the streets in protest at 422 job losses as part of a £23 million cuts package which could see the closure of the casualty department at Central Middlesex Hospital, the nearest A&E to the new Wembley Stadium.
To keep up to date and find out how you can get involved visit http://www.healthemergency.org.uk/. All UNISON members need to support the campaign against job losses in our health service.
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