7.1.1 NHS Forth Valley employs around 8,000 staff providing a wide range of professional, technical, administrative and facilities services.
7.1.2 Employees have been involved in the development of the Clackmannanshire Community Health Services Project through the well-established partnership arrangements, and it is recognised that the proposals represent significant organisational change challenges for employees.
7.1.3 The NHS Board recognises the need for change including the opportunities it presents to develop new skills and extended roles, and address national workforce issues particularly around pay modernisation and the European Working Time Directive.
7.1.4 It is the intention to continue to involve employees and their representatives in any agreed service change to ensure they are fully informed and engaged. If any employee is affected by the change process the Board is already committed to the principles of the nationally agreed Organisational Change Policy which protects relevant terms and conditions of employment and aims to safeguard employment.
7.2. Workforce Planning
7.2.1 The objective is to support the delivery of NHS priorities locally by ensuring there are sufficient numbers of appropriately trained and motivated staff working in the right locations. The HR strategy for the NHS sets out a managed programme for rapid expansion in the NHS workforce, and the introduction of more flexible ways of working and improving working lives of staff. Delivery of this strategy is absolutely central to the achievement of strategic priorities.
7.2.2 Whilst working towards national targets the Board must also consider the local workforce planning issues that are specific to the new facilities in Clackmannanshire.
7.2.3 Community and primary care services were distributed across three sites (Alloa Health Centre, Clackmannanshire County Hospital, and Sauchie Hospital) although over the last couple of months services on the Sauchie Hospital site have relocated to Clackmannanshire County Hospital.
7.2.4 During the period up to service commencement the workforce and its various staff groups will need to be reviewed with a clear programme for changes in the numbers staff, skill mix requirements, and ways of working. This will form part of the programme for ensuring that teams are functional when amalgamated into the new facility, in terms of:
o management structures;
o clinical practices; and
7.3. New Service Models
7.3.1 Many of the services will need to undergo changes in the way they are delivered, with a knock on effect on the shape, size and location of the workforce, including:
o the skill mix of staff employed;
o numbers of staff; and
o flexible patterns of working.
7.4. Change Management
7.4.1 The Board is currently developing a detailed organisational development and change management action plan. This will enable the workforce to be supported through the next two years of organisational change and the introduction of new ways of working.
7.4.2 Given the size of the agenda ahead, and other Boards’ experiences of similar levels of change, the Board recognises the need for a systematic approach to the service and workforce redesign. The exact structure and process for this organisational development and change management plan is currently being developed within the Board.
7.5. Staff Transfers
7.5.1 Staff working in clinical services will not be transferred to the private sector as part of the PFI contract.
7.5.2 Facilities Management (FM) services are normally categorised as either “Hard” services or “Soft” services. Hard services are normally those associated with building and estates maintenance, and Soft services are normally considered to be the non-clinical support services such as catering, cleaning, laundry and waste management.
7.5.3 In NHS Forth Valley most FM services are delivered by the “Forth Valley Facilities Unit”, with some Soft services delivered on a contractual basis by other external providers’ e.g. clinical waste disposal, laundry etc.
7.5.4 The distinction between Hard and Soft services is an important one within the PFI procurement process. Under a traditional PFI model the private sector developer would take responsibility for Hard FM services as it is the developer who is responsible for designing, building and maintaining the new facilities.
7.5.5 The number of Hard FM staff associated with the existing facilities in Clackmannanshire is relatively small. Therefore Forth Valley Facilities has actively reduced, through vacancy management, the number of Hard FM staff employed to a level such that there will be no staff transfers associated with the provision of these services at the new facility. All Hard FM staff will be recruited and employed by Robertson Healthcare prior to service commencement.
7.5.6 The successful Bid for Soft FM, from the Boards In-House Team, means that there is also no staff transfers associated with the provision of Soft FM services at the new facilities. All Soft FM services provision will be retained by the Board with the Forth Valley Facilities Unit supplying the staff necessary to provide the services.
7.5.7 Therefore there are no consequences for Board under the SE/STUC Protocol or the application of the TUPE regulations.
7.6. Integrated Management Approach
7.6.1 The Board and Robertson Healthcare will need to ensure that measures are in place which avoids the creation of a two tier workforce between Hard Facilities Management staff working with NHS Forth Valley. Robertson Healthcare has confirmed that:
o FM staff will be managed broadly in accordance with Board policies and procedures; and
o they will observe their obligations in respect of Trade Union recognition.
7.6.2 A Management protocol is being developed in line with the Standard Form Project Agreement. This will ensure that responsibilities are clear and unambiguous. The protocol will detail the specific Board and Robertson Healthcare structure required in order to manage the contract as well as the responsibilities regarding the application of Board policies.
7.6.3 Robertson Healthcare will provide monthly reports that will include HR issues, as part of the agreed monitoring process. This together with regular meetings to discuss key points will assist in maintaining a partnership approach to day-to-day staffing issues.
8. INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY