MP Judith Cummins has hit out at plans for the creation of a wholly owned subsidiary company by the Bradford Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust.

Its estates, facilities and clinical engineering services would come under the company, but Mrs Cummins, Bradford South MP, says it would allow the Trust to worsen employment rights for these staff and make it "much easier to privatise the running of essential services".

She wrote to both the Secretary of State for Health, Matt Hancock and the CEO of NHS Improvement (NHSI) in a bid to reverse the decision.

“If this decision is allowed to go ahead, it is the start of a very dangerous path towards privatisation," she said.

“Any attempts to dismantle our NHS should be prevented, whether on a national or local level.

"These NHS employees that would suddenly find themselves working for a different employer are an essential part of our health service, and they should be treated as such."

John Holden, Bradford Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust’s Acting Chief Executive, said: “NHS Improvement (NHSI) has endorsed the Trust’s business case to create a wholly owned subsidiary for its Estates, Facilities and Clinical Engineering services.

"This is a new company which will be entirely owned and operated by and for the NHS.

“Following a request from NHSI for all NHS trusts to pause any current plans, it has thoroughly reviewed our business case and confirmed we can now move ahead with the programme to create a wholly owned subsidiary.

“We have begun a full programme of engagement with staff and union representatives, ahead of formal staff consultation on people’s transfer to the new company.

“The Trust’s Board has a strong commitment to ensure all our staff are treated well, in line with our values, and this means an assurance that their terms and conditions will remain protected for the lifetime of the agreed contract, likely to be 25 years.

"We will also take steps to ensure that they can continue to be part of the NHS pension scheme.

“We believe that the new company is the best way of continuing to provide high quality care for patients, by ensuring the sustainability and future development of these important support services.”