Outraged care workers are to stage a furious protest against £30 million of cuts to Fife’s health service.
Members of the country’s biggest trade union Unite are urging as many people as possible to join them in a demonstration against what they term an “unacceptable attack” on the region’s NHS.
They have called on local politicians to go along to discuss the situation with them and pledged to buttonhole MSPs at Parliament if they refuse.
The action outside Victoria Hospital in Kirkcaldy next week follows the shock revelation that NHS Fife must find an unprecedented £30.8m of savings this financial year with further significant cuts to follow in the following two years.
Managers have warned of major design and transformation of services as they attempt to slash 5% from the overall £604 million budget.
Areas being looked at include cuts to jobs and beds and reviews of security staff, laundry, linen and café and catering facilities.
John Gillespie, chairman of Unite’s Fife area activities committee, said he was extremely concerned about the knock-on effect any reduction in hospital budgets would have on community health services.
“It’s so frustrating,” he said.
“These are more cuts coming from the Scottish Government and the fear is it will create bed blocking.
“People are not going to have a chance when they are released from hospital.”
Mr Gillespie said the scale of the financial black hole could potentially affect every family in Fife.
“Everybody has grandparents, parents, aunts or uncles,” he said.
“It’s our NHS and it’s being eroded.”
He warned Thursday’s demonstration was just the start of a union campaign.
“We’ll not let this go because it’s really concerning,” he said.
Labour politician Alex Rowley has already warned the scale of the cuts would be devastating and could put Fife’s health service in a critical condition.
Announcing the situation at an NHS Fife board meeting last week, interim director of finance Carol Potter said the extent of the challenge faced was unprecedented, both locally and across the NHS in Scotland as a whole.
“I have not seen the scale of these financial challenges in the whole of my career,” she said.
The action will take place on Thursday May 12 from 7.30am to 10.30am.
