Councillors in Bath and North East Somerset have voiced serious concerns about plans to transfer hundreds of NHS “bank” staff to the private company Pulse. Starting August 1, the Royal United Hospital (RUH) will move its flexible shift workers—who cover staff shortages and peak demands—from NHS employment to Pulse in an effort to reduce costs. However, local representatives warn this move may jeopardize patient care.
Dine Romero, chair of Bath and North East Somerset Council’s health scrutiny committee, expressed apprehension: “We want to highlight concerns that this decision could affect the quality of services provided to residents in our area.” The transition is part of a coordinated effort involving Salisbury NHS Trust and Great Western Hospital NHS Trust in Swindon, collectively known as the BSW Hospitals Group.
Financially, the change is projected to save the NHS between £3.3 million and £5.4 million by reducing employer pension contributions. Currently, NHS staff receive a 23.7% employer pension contribution. Post-transfer, approximately 40% of bank staff will see this contribution drop to 6%, a significant reduction in retirement benefits. Nicola James, former RUH governor, criticized this move as “a cost deliberately shifted onto workers to plug a deficit,” rather than true efficiency saving.
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The affected bank staff includes nurses, midwives, allied health professionals, and supportive roles such as administrative and catering staff. Doctors will not be impacted. While about 60% of bank staff who already have NHS contracts will retain their pension benefits, the rest face diminished benefits once employed by Pulse.
Unison branch secretary Baz Harding-Clark, representing staff with two decades of service, highlighted the financial loss this change entails: “For healthcare assistants working bank shifts over the next decade, the reduction in pension contributions could mean losing tens of thousands in retirement income.” He also warned that removing bank staff from NHS employment threatens the trust’s ability to cover shortfalls, which could compromise patient care.
The transition plan had not been publicly disclosed until staff raised it during an April 20 health scrutiny committee meeting. The NHS integrated care board for Bath and North East Somerset and Wiltshire was informed on the same day by the RUH. Romero emphasized that hospitals have a legal obligation to notify councillors about significant service changes, a duty that was overlooked.
In response, the health scrutiny committee has requested that the trusts address councillors’ concerns and is considering escalating the matter to Secretary of State Wes Streeting.
The BSW Hospitals Group defended the move as part of a broader transformation to manage workforce flexibility amidst NHS financial constraints, aiming to reduce costs, enhance efficiency, and improve staff experience while minimizing disruption. They encouraged staff to apply for substantive NHS roles where possible.
Meanwhile, advocacy group Protect Our NHS B&NES condemned the decision, warning, “Handing NHS bank staff to a for-profit private company risks losing highly skilled, experienced workers and will negatively affect patient care in an already understaffed NHS.” They emphasized NHS staff pride in sustaining high-quality, universally accessible care.