Shropshire blood service tight-lipped on job losses
Shropshire’s blood service has said it cannot comment on claims that job losses are being considered as part of a review.
The review is being carried out by NHS Blood & Transplant in Shropshire and Staffordshire. One employee has claimed that jobs are at risk as part of the review.
Currently the service employs 18 people in the area.
A spokeswoman for NHS Blood & Transplant said it would not be able to comment on potential job losses while a consultation was ongoing.
However, they did confirm that the service would be looking to find options to move people to other jobs in the NHS “where applicable or appropriate”.
Pam Pye of NHS Blood & Transplant said: “We are supporting staff through the consultation period and through any changes that come from this review. Where applicable or appropriate we will explore redeployment opportunities including to the wider NHS, retraining for employability into other roles and any other reasonable support we can put in place.
“We cannot say any more than that as the consultation is still ongoing. Once it is finalised we will be able to give a fuller picture.”
The review, which was launched last month, is looking at reducing the number of blood donation sessions which take place across Shropshire and Staffordshire.
Sessions in Bayston Hill, Bridgnorth, Dawley, Donnington, Highley, Madeley, Market Drayton, Minsterley, Oakengates, Shifnal, Shrewsbury, Wellington and Wem are among those being reviewed.
NHS Blood and Transplant said the review was due to a declining need for blood donations.
The organisation said that hospital blood use is declining by three to four per cent a year leading it to consider reducing the amount of blood donation sessions it holds.
It is proposing is that some sessions in the area will close but that existing donors could be invited to alternative sessions.
When the review was announced Mike Stredder, director of blood donation at NHS Blood and Transplant said: “We are very grateful to all those who give up their time to donate blood. Their generosity helps save and improve the lives of patients across the country.
“While hospitals are using less blood that in previous years, we still need to collect 1.5m units of blood a year. We look forward to seeing our loyal donors at their next donation.”
