Unite Amicus Section expressed outrage today as two new senior and highly paid management jobs were advertised by Scarborough and North East Yorkshire Trust, just days after it announced 600 job cuts and three ward closures.

The Trust is seeking to appoint two new full-time senior managers, a Director of Strategy, Planning and Partnership at £70,000 per annum and a Director of Operations at £75,000.

Both positions are permanent but, because of the Trusts £10 million deficit, the Trust is not offering permanent contracts to clinicians. On the Trusts website where they are advertising the two new Director positions they are also advertising for an Anaesthetist on a temporary contract at between £26,270 and £36,837 per annum.  

Kevin Coyne, Unite, Amicus Section's Head of Health, said: “The audacity and insensitivity of these appointments being made at a time when a third of the Trusts' staff are threatened with redundancy is absolutely breathtaking. “This are new senior management positions being appointed, presumably, to oversee and implement the Trusts swingeing cuts which cannot fail to impact on patient care.

“This is totally unacceptable and we will be making representations in the strongest terms to the Trust. It's yet another example of its' incompetence.” Unite Amicus Section is also opposing the planned job cuts which were announced by the Trust last week and approved by the Trust's Board yesterday. A consultation process on the cuts is now due to begin.

Mick Pilling (writes) Chairman Save Bridlington Hospital Campaign Action Group

The 2 new appointments advertised are the very people who will instigate the removal of the 600 staff posts which are to go; according to Iain McInnes Chief Executive; he also stands by his decission to recruit them saying the Trust needs them at a cost of £150,000 a year for the 2 posts.