Serco named as preferred bidder for community health services in Suffolk

The firm has been announced as the preferred bidder to provide community health services in Suffolk for three years from this autumn.

The contract includes specialist children’s health services and speech and language therapy.

Serco said all 1,000 staff who transfer to the new service will retain their existing terms and conditions.

But Tracey Lambert, Unison’s Eastern region head of health described the appointment of Serco as "an extremely sad day for the people in Suffolk and NHS staff who’ll see their community service sold off in this way".

She said: "The trust has always been recognised for delivering good-quality integrated services, there is no reason for it to be hived off."

She questioned whether public services specialist firm Serco had a strong enough track record for providing medical care, saying, "we would be hard pressed to know what Serco could possibly add to existing patient care and services", adding that "this is an ideological move, purely to save money".

But in response to Unison's claims, Paul Forden, managing director of clinical services at Serco, said: "I have 18 years' experience running NHS hospital services and our team is also experienced. Also, in Suffolk the staff will remain the same. It will be the same staff providing the service."

Unison warned that following the passing of the Health and Social Care Bill this week, the latest move in Suffolk "is likely to be a bitter taste of things to come". 

Dr Paul Watson, chief executive of NHS Suffolk, said Serco was selected based on "rigorous evidence of its experience as a service provider and its vision and innovative plans for further improving our community services". 

The news comes after Serco confirmed that it is likely to submit a bid to run a range of children’s health services in Devon. NHS Devon has launched a tender process to contract out services including child and adolescent mental health and short breaks for disabled children.

The move has concerned the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health (RCPCH).

RCPCH president Professor Terence Stephenson said: "Children's services are complex, as some tragic high-profile incidents have shown. It is essential that any provider has proven expertise in effectively managing not only clinical services but also key areas such as safeguarding and on the face of it, it does not appear that all of the shortlisted bidders have experience in managing such services."