Job loss fears at private hospital as NHS cutbacks kill off vital contract

FEARS have been raised over job losses at a private hospital in the city after it emerged it is set to lose its NHS contract amid cutbacks.

Three members of management staff at Spire Murrayfield Hospital - the Operations Manager, Executive Co-ordinator and Hotel Services Supervisor - have been told that their positions are under threat, while all members of staff have been asked to consider reducing their hours.

The hospital also said it was unlikely that its contract with NHS Lothian would be renewed by the NHS in its current form when it expires in March next year.

The contract accounts for around 18 per cent of the hospital's business.

The Evening News told yesterday how health chiefs have warned of a "worst case" scenario of cuts of up to 200 million over the next five years.

NHS Lothian would not comment today on whether or not the contract with Spire would be renewed.

Hospital Director Wally Bourdelov said: "We love working with the NHS and we would be happy to continue doing so, but they have to make budgetary cuts."

The three management level staff were informed last week that their jobs are at risk as a result of the economic situation and a 30-day consultation period is now underway.

All full-time, permanent members of staff received letters last Friday asking them to consider temporarily reducing their hours, or taking sabbatical leave for a period of between three and nine months.

Mr Bourdelov added: "Based on the fact that management had received feedback from a handful of staff that would like to take sabbatical leave, the company indicated that it may look favourably if people made those requests."

Mr Bourdelov failed to rule out the possibility of further redundancies, though he said: "We are absolutely not looking at large-scale redundancies, and there are no plans at all for Spire Murrayfield Hospital to close."

One member of staff, who didn't want to be named, said staff were told last Friday that more employees - between around nine and 12 - would be made redundant by the end of November, and that further redundancies were expected next year.

She said: "Every member of staff now has concerns for their jobs because we all think that our jobs are going to go."

Associated Director of Strategy Planning and Modernisation for NHS Lothian, Andy Jackson, said: "NHS Lothian's contract with Spire Healthcare is due to end on 31 March 2011.

"We are currently considering future arrangements beyond this date."

Medics make new ears for girl from Trinidad

MEDICS at Spire Murrayfield Hospital are creating new ears for a teenage girl from Trinidad.

Kade Romain, 15, was born without ears and missing part of her ear canal, leaving her partially deaf.

The medical team at the private hospital in the city have given their time for free to construct new ears for Kade, who came to Scotland after meeting Robina Addison - a Scottish dance teacher - who was visiting the orphanage where Kade was living. Ms Addison said: "Because she was born without ears, Kade couldn't go to mainstream school and was attending a day care unit for children who are mentally handicapped."

Ms Addison organised a temporary visa for Kade to come to Scotland for the unusual operation.

Ken Stewart, one of the UK's top experts in ear reconstruction, said: "We're hoping to produce an ear which is a very reasonable image of a natural human ear. At a conversational distance, it wouldn't be obvious it's a reconstructed ear."

During a seven-hour operation, Mr Stewart constructed the first ear, with cartilage taken from Kade's rib cage. He trimmed this into the shape of an ear to insert under a flap of skin where Kade's ear should be.

The other ear will be constructed in a few months. Kade, who will be fitted with a hearing aid, has already bought her first pair of earrings.