Trust denies staff issue at Leighton

An alarmed Rudheath resident, who did not wish to be named, contacted the Guardian after hearing employees at the Crewe hospital were being reassessed for their existing jobs.

He said: "I was in Northwich and was asked to sign the petition to save the Victoria Infirmary.

"There was a lady at the stand who was a staff nurse at Leighton. She had been a nurse for 20 years and said she had to reapply for the job she was already doing.

"She even had to fill in an application form and was worried they wanted to downgrade workers as all nursing staff, not just sisters, were having to reapply.

"With the current state of the NHS it is ridiculous."

The hospital user was surprised to hear the same claim repeated just days later.

He said: "I was at the outpatients department with my friend and another nurse said exactly the same.

"If they can do the job, why do they have to reapply?

"She was waiting for an interview.

"She had been there 15 years, but it doesn't seem to matter whether you've been there a long time or a couple of months.

"What is the sense of it? What is the point? No one seems to know why they are doing it."

But a Mid Cheshire Hospitals Trust spokesman said there is no staffing issue.

He added: "Mid Cheshire Hospitals Trust is currently implementing a series of initiatives designed to address its financial deficit, while maintaining and improving patient services.

"These include the redesign of the management structure as well as ensuring appropriate levels of staff across all services.

"Members of staff are not reapplying for their jobs.

"In common with other staff groups across the trust, some areas of nursing are being reviewed. Staff have been invited to meetings to discuss their role in a potentially revised structure.

"In recent months the trust has invested heavily in additional nursing posts and has taken every step to ensure nursing levels and skill mix are appropriate."