Construction Confederation public affairs director Martin Hughes said the scheme — the result of a deal just struck with Unison to keep NHS workers on public sector contracts — could cause problems because contractors won't have the authority to manage staff.
Under the scheme, to be trialled at Queen Mary's Hospital, Roehampton; Stoke Mandeville Hospital, Aylesbury, and Havering Hospital, east London, the private sector contractor would pay the staff, while management (including recruitment) would remain under NHS control. Further details have yet to be announced.
'You have to have the authority to manage staff or not,' said Hughes. 'It seems the contractor won't have the power to hire and fire.'
The arrangement covers blue collar staff including cooks, cleaners, porters, laundry and security workers.
Hughes described the decision to retain staff under NHS management as 'a recipe for chaos'. He added: 'You have to wonder if this is a model that will be transferred elsewhere.'
Norman Rose, director general of the Business Service Association, which represents facilities management operators, said the 'secondment model' should be 'confined to the pilot trusts until it has been proved to work'.
Project managers at two of the three pilot hospitals said debate over the scheme had delayed the selection process for their PFI schemes.
At Havering Hospital, PFI project manager Paul Curran said the Trust is now expected to name a preferred bidder just after Christmas, 18 months after the OJEC notice was released.
However he remains confident the hospital will be open on schedule in Autumn 2005.
The preferred bidder process at £20m Stoke Mandeville hospital was also delayed. A preferred bidder is expected to be named early next year.
Source
The Facilities Business