London:
All nine health authorities in the East Midlands are planning to move administrative services to India as part of their efforts to save 5 million pounds annually.
However, the plans prompted fears that 100 National Health Service (NHS) staff would lose their jobs, according to health union Unison.
But, NHS Shared Business Services, which has put forward the plan, has said there will be no redundancies.
A spokesman said that some staff would be moved into new posts within the NHS or offered jobs with NHS Shared Business Services but no-one would be made redundant.
It has assured local staff that the move will not lead to job losses.
The organisation is a partnership between a private IT company and the Department of Health and already provides some financial services on behalf of local (NHS) trusts.
It has now recommended that it be given responsibility for a number of other administrative services, including medical records management and calls and recalls for screening.
Staff would work from several sites in the East Midlands with additional services provided from India.
"There will be redeployment of some staff. That might mean within the local NHS in the region or through NHS Shared Business Services," the spokesman said.
He also confirmed plans to get staff in India to process some information about patients of Derbyshire GP surgeries, including their addresses and personal NHS identity numbers.
Health officials are set to decide whether to accept the proposal by June. "If it does go ahead we may start officially running the service six months from then or the following month." The spokesman said.
However, the plans prompted fears that 100 National Health Service (NHS) staff would lose their jobs, according to health union Unison.
But, NHS Shared Business Services, which has put forward the plan, has said there will be no redundancies.
A spokesman said that some staff would be moved into new posts within the NHS or offered jobs with NHS Shared Business Services but no-one would be made redundant.
It has assured local staff that the move will not lead to job losses.
The organisation is a partnership between a private IT company and the Department of Health and already provides some financial services on behalf of local (NHS) trusts.
It has now recommended that it be given responsibility for a number of other administrative services, including medical records management and calls and recalls for screening.
Staff would work from several sites in the East Midlands with additional services provided from India.
"There will be redeployment of some staff. That might mean within the local NHS in the region or through NHS Shared Business Services," the spokesman said.
He also confirmed plans to get staff in India to process some information about patients of Derbyshire GP surgeries, including their addresses and personal NHS identity numbers.
Health officials are set to decide whether to accept the proposal by June. "If it does go ahead we may start officially running the service six months from then or the following month." The spokesman said.
