Union call for clarity on jobs at troubled hospital

A trade union has called for an urgent meeting about jobs at a mental health hospital after hundreds of patients were moved out when NHS England raised concerns about their care.

Unison said that about 2,000 staff work at St Andrew's in Northampton, which provided specialist care for about 600 people with complex mental health needs.

Nadeem Samari, East Midlands regional organiser for Unison, said its members "feel upset and anxious and uncertain about their future and the future of patients and service users who they care very deeply about".

St Andrew's Healthcare, which is a charity, said "staff and patients are our priority".

Samari added: "We understand that historically St Andrew's has been an important part of the Northampton economy employing thousands of people.

"We're concerned about the number of redundancies that have taken place already and the impact on the local economy.

"We have asked the charity for an urgent meeting to work with trade unions to look at contingency plans, our priority is the security of these jobs and services staying in Northampton."

A spokesperson for St Andrew's said: "We understand the concern that the decision has created.

"We will continue to actively engage with our recognised unions, and seek further clarity on NHS England's timetable for moving patients from our Northampton hospital."

Last month, the BBC revealed 15 staff members had been arrested since October 2024 following allegations of rape, ill-treatment and neglect.

Patients, relatives and whistleblowers described a culture of abuse at the unit.

Ten people remain under suspicion and have been bailed or released pending inquiries.

St Andrew's chief executive, Dr Vivienne McVey, announced her departure in an email to staff on Monday afternoon - in a move that Samari described as "deeply disappointing".

"I think it sends a really bad signal to our members, to patients and service users, and their families," he said.

"We are shocked by the failure to take any responsibility or accountability by the chief executive who, instead of taking that accountability and responsibility for management failures, emphasised instead how she was immensely proud of her time at St Andrews in her parting note."

Mike Reader, the Labour MP for Northampton South, said he was "deeply concerned" by the situation for the hospital's employees.

He said: "I've already been in contact with the unions and with the leadership team at St Andrew's to understand the impact.

"I'm hopeful there will be an alternative solution to closing which could include the NHS taking more control of services at St Andrew's, scaling back facilities, or another thing to keep [mental health] provision in Northampton.

The decision to withdraw patients follows enforcement action taken against the hospital, announced in December.

NHS England has tasked health bosses around the country with finding alternative arrangements for 287 inpatients.

In a letter, it said it had taken the decision over continuing patient safety concerns.

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