BRADFORD’S Hospitals Trust has put plans on hold to transfer some staff to a wholly-owned subsidiary company following increased pressure from local MPs and Unison.

Bradford Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust had planned to press on with creating the new subsidiary company for non-medical staff, but said after receiving clarification from NHS Improvement the plans are being paused.

NHS Improvement asked Trusts across the country to put plans on ice until new guidance on the matter is published, but Bradford had initially intended to continue with its plans.

Clive Kay, chief executive of the Trust, said: “The Trust has today decided to pause its establishment of a wholly owned subsidiary for its Estates, Facilities and Clinical Engineering services.

“We have taken this decision in light of clarification from NHSI concerning its recent request for NHS Trusts to pause any current plans to create new subsidiaries or change existing subsidiaries.

“NHSI has specifically requested that where formal staff consultation has not started, as is the case at Bradford Teaching Hospitals, then the pause should be applied.

“We will fully respect NHSI’s request to pause all formal elements of the process, but will continue with preparatory work, so we are able to respond appropriately at the conclusion of the consultation process, ensuring that any new regulatory requirements are fully met.

“We are confident in our plans and remain committed to establishing a wholly owned subsidiary as soon as we are able, as we believe this will benefit patients and staff and is the best way of ensuring the sustainability, quality and future improvement of the service.

“We will keep our staff and union representatives updated fully on developments.”

Tony Pearson, regional head of health at Unison, said: “We received a letter from the Trust indicating it didn’t want to observe the pause, so I take it they have clarified things.

“We welcome the decision to heed national advice to observe the pause until there is a consultation over the regulatory approach to these companies.

“The last thing we want to see is key workers transferred out of the NHS simply for tax advantages.”

MPs Judith Cummins and Imran Hussain have both been campaigning to put the plans for the subsidiary company on hold.

Bradford East MP Imran Hussain added: “I am pleased that they have finally listened to these calls and put their plans on hold.

“This is an important step forward not just for my campaign to prevent the Trust overriding the wishes of local people who want NHS services to be carried out by NHS providers, not private or subsidiary companies, but for patient safety and staff employment rights threatened by these plans.

“Whilst it makes sense for the Bradford NHS Trust to pause their plans until new guidance on subsidiary companies issued by NHS Improvement is in place, it makes even more sense to cancel the plans altogether in the interests of patients and staff, and I urge the Trust’s management to go further and shelve their plans completely, and commit to ensuring that vital NHS support services remain run by NHS staff.”

Judith Cummins, MP for Bradford South, said: “Bradford Trust has taken a step in the right direction by deciding to pause these plans.

“I have repeatedly called on the trust to abandon the plans so this is welcome news.

"The plans to create a subsidiary company for some of the lowest paid workers in the NHS represent a race to the bottom with staff terms and conditions.

"NHS staff are proud to work for the NHS - subsidiary companies would create a two-tier workforce and make our health service more fragmented.

“This would be bad for workers moved over to the new companies, but bad for the NHS overall.

“The NHS functions at its best when its services and staff are working together as one team and I would like to see the Trust abandon these plans altogether - for the good of the health service.”