1 week Ago
A HUGELY valuable service which supports patients and staff in hospital emergency departments will cease after the health board allegedly turned down a request for a pay rise. British Red Cross employees, who work across emergency departments in Glan Clwyd Hospital in Bodelwyddan, Ysbyty Gwynedd in Bangor and Wrexham Maelor, were overjoyed last December when they were informed of Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board (BCUHB)'s intention to extend the Wellbeing and Home Safe Service until May 2026. However, in January the Red Cross informed staff that they had not yet received confirmation in regards to funding; It is understood the Red Cross had to recalculate their costs due to the Real Living Wage and Employers NI and these were put to BCUHB.
The has been informed that the rise requested, believed to be about nine per cent, was not granted by health board bosses. The Red Cross proposed a reduced service but instead, a decision was made to end the service in May. The decision has hugely upset employees at the British Red Cross; at least 60 people could lose their jobs.
The humanitarian charity, which is commissioned by the BCUHB, employ "core staff" to run the service and is supported by volunteers. The was told that only the "minimum of funds" is sought to deliver services but where "standstill budgets make this untenable, an appropriate uplift [is sought] to reflect increased costs, or changes proposed to the service profile." One person who has worked for the Red Cross for two years and is based at Glan Clwyd Hospital, said: "The service is being pulled from all three hospitals.
BCUHB have withdrawn the service. The Red Cross requested a nine per cent increase from BCUHB to be able to keep up with the raising NI, cost of living, car maintenance - we take people home and it is a lease pool car, but the health board said no. The British Red Cross tried to compromise and said they could offer a reduced service and get rid of the car and to be only based in the emergency department, take away the referrals, but they refused to discuss.
" The paid employee, who has asked not to be named, said staff are "absolutely gutted." They said: "I am going to have to look for alternative employment, we all are. Some people have been there from the beginning, six to seven years.
All of us are such a team...
it is going to be sad to lose that little family and the bond we have. On the other side, where the health board is concerned, it is only going to affect the patients. "I have been made aware the service is being stopped because of the nine per cent increase request, among other things.
"There is a lot of anger and sadness among staff. There is no motivation to be there at the moment. It is not a waste of time, patients do benefit from it obviously, but where staff members are concerned it just feels like we are working towards nothing because we are going to be made redundant.
It is awful. All the paid members of staff, contracted staff, work two days a week. We work 10am until 8pm and it is a seven-day service.
"Aside from providing food and transporting patients we also provide one-to-one emotional support. For example, I personally have sat with someone whilst they have taken their last breath because there was no family around them. I have supported a family when there were twins, four months old, and one passed away.
We were helping create the memories...
the footprints, handprints. It is a vital service. We had an end-of-life patient the other day and there were a lot of relatives and we were making sure they were hydrated, fed, as it is a terrible time.
It is just sad. This all takes place within the emergency department. "When the service first started [back in 2018] it was just meant to help with the winter pressures but then the contract just kept getting extended.
"This time round we got told that we had got the contract for another year but what they hadn't decided yet was the finance side of things. The health board said they were pulling the contract because they don't have the finances for it. "This is a service that needs to stay.
" British Red Cross support at Ysbyty Glan Clwyd and Wrexham Maelor Hospital commenced in December 2018 and Ysbyty Gwynedd began in December 2019. The service was initially commissioned by Welsh Government. The pilot was part of was part of a package of measures aimed at easing pressures over the winter period.
The pilot was then extended to run all year round before being commissioned by individual health boards. The Red Cross confirmed their contracts with BCUHB will shortly end. Katija Dew, British Red Cross Acting Director for Wales, said: “Over the past seven years, British Red Cross teams have supported patients over 800,000 times in the Emergency Departments across North Wales, and in the past year alone, we have assisted over 650 patients at home.
We are very proud to have worked with NHS colleagues as a team, saving over 20,000 hours of staff time with our support, in the last 12 months. “Our dedicated health and care team remains committed to supporting people as they navigate this transition, with continued support to patients and NHS colleagues through our ongoing services across Wales. “We would like to take this opportunity to thank our staff and volunteers for everything they have done to support this service, which was greatly valued by patients, family members and NHS staff in Emergency Departments.
” Imran Devji, Interim Chief Operating Officer at BCUHB, said: “Our current contract with the British Red Cross will come to an end in May, in line with the terms agreed. “We hugely value the contribution that the British Red Cross has made in our Emergency Departments in recent years. “We are transforming urgent and emergency care to further improve quality and safety whilst ensuring cost effective solutions.
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