Session Recording
Corporate Services
Q: How is the 1st wave of transfer integration of Corp Services going? Any feedback?
A: We are progressing well for People and OD. We have a TU meeting today and a Teams meeting with all POD teams later today where we'll be sharing the timeline for consultation and implementation. We have a draft target operating model (TOM) and numerous workstreams are meeting this month to determine the future structures. It is a tight timeline to follow but we are doing all we can to deliver in Q3.
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Q: Hearing rumours about a delay in the corporate TUPE process, does this mean there's a more likely chance of redundancies?
A: We are currently planning the dates for each corporate team to TUPE across to LUHFT. People and OD will go first which is expected in Q3. Prior to TUPE transfer, we will carry out a readiness assessment, which will determine whether we are ready with the new model planning. This process will determine whether or not there is any delay to TUPE for each service. This should not impact the likelihood of redundancies.
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Q: Are LWH soft services staff at risk of being pulled over to other sites when they transfer to the Trust due to the issues with cleaning services at Royal and Aintree?
A: Questions such as this will be addressed as part of the TUPE process. Staff will have the opportunity to ask for clarification as they go through the process.
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Q: You say TUPE "over" to LUFT - does this mean LWH are moving over to LUFT
A: This relates to corporate teams where it is deemed appropriate that TUPE applies. Staff will TUPE to LUHFT, which is a technical transfer to support the efficiency of this process. You can read more information on TUPE on the Stronger Together digital hub.
Finance
Q: Can we look at restrictive spend turnaround times. PO numbers are taking at least a month to come through. I understand we are under financial pressures but does the system you have put in place have to be so ineffective?
A: Thank you for raising this. We will look into this as it’s not our intention to hold back PO numbers for essential care.
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Q: Has the discretionary spend panel process been risk assessed? If so, can it be shared? Where do we find out what defines discretionary spend so we know what is in scope
A: Information regarding the new discretionary spend process is being finalised and will be shared with staff and budget holders soon.
Cleaning
Q: Are we expected to clean toilets in our areas as well?
A: Toilet and kitchen areas will continue to be cleaned by domestic services.
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Q: It really is concerning that we are in such financial dire straits that we can't even afford to keep parts of the hospital clean. Understand patient care is paramount but staff in non-clinical areas have a right to work in a clean environment? Surely there must be other ways we can reduce spend other than cutting an essential service such as cleaning?!
A: We understand the frustrations of staff as we continue to operate in challenging circumstances. If you have any ideas for reducing spend saving money, please email savingtogether
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Q: Do you expect staff sickness to increase with lack of cleaning in staff areas?
A: Toilets and kitchens will continue to be cleaned daily, and we kindly ask staff for their cooperation keeping their areas tidy and empty office bins to support keeping non-clinical staff areas clean, so we should not expect to see a rise in sickness absence.
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Q: Could you clarify when staff are expected to carry out cleaning duties, given that we are already working at full capacity fulfilling our primary roles?
A: We do not expect staff to replace Domestic colleagues, and toilets and kitchens will continue to be cleaned. However we are asking for support in contributing to keeping our own working environments clean, such as your desk and taking your bin to the kitchen, so that we can ensure higher risk clinical areas are kept clean for patient safety.
Q: Some work areas have become an environmental hazard due to the withdrawal of cleaning services. CSC has patients using the ground floor corridor and the toilets are appalling we have had complaints from service users and staff.
A: If you could escalate this to Domestic Services or log a job via 8888 as they arise, we will investigate with Domestic Services and our team within Health & Safety to understand how environmental hazards are happening.
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Q: We've been told for the last few weeks that we would be getting "cleaning packs" to support us in being able to clean our own areas, but these are yet to be delivered. I'm not sure how we are meant to keep our areas clean without any supplies.
A: Cleaning packs should be in all locations, however we are awaiting a few deliveries. In the event that they don’t arrive, please escalate to the team on your site:
- Aintree Domestic Supervisors - extension 3930
- Royal Domestic Supervisors - extension 2011
- Broadgreen Domestic Supervisors - via 07768 154 771.
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Q: Our cleaner (Jean) has been moved from Edwards to 9th floor that’s still not clinical so why move her away?
A: It is lovely that our Domestics are so valued and missed. It does mean a lot to the individual and wider impact; however, it is usual for us to flex staff from location to location and is part of operational practice.
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Q: Sitting in an office that had to be fumigated because of fleas does not really help moral! I go home feeling dirty after each shift.
A: If you haven't already, please log this job with 8888 for pest control.
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Q: I question how clean our hospital is, there are more often times when the toilets have no paper towels/soap and we have clinical staff on our floor who then have to be in contact with patients. We are in the offices on 9th floor. We should come into clean offices and not have to rely on the good nature of staff to empty bins/clean up. surely this is a health and safety risk??
A: Please log job with 8888 if you have facilities without the basic consumables.
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Recruitment
Q: There's been a lot of changes with regards to Skilled Worker Visa. Could we have a staff brief to understand how these changes affect existing/prospective visa holders at UHLG, please?
A: We can do this yes, however, if you believe you are impacted now, please reach out to the recruitment team to confirm your position.
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Q: Can you confirm there is no financial vacancy controls on nursing for outpatients please. This is not what we are experiencing. Thanks
A: There are no overall 'stops' in recruiting frontline clinical staff (so this would include nursing staff within OPD). However, I'm not sure if there are any reviews taking place in specific outpatient services - if there are, this may put a delay in the recruitment process (so that the correct workforce is within the establishment). All posts will still need to be agreed by the Hospital Leadership Team. If you have some specific questions about your service, please make a direct contact with your site Director of Nursing for further information. Thank you.
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Q: Will MARS be offered again, and will it be refused as most request were! Surely 'At risk' staff can be slotted in to posts where MARS has been approved - is this not a saving?
A: We are currently working up a paper to apply for a further MARs scheme for UHLG. We are also looking to align this to other LAASP trusts. If we are granted permission by NHSE to implement the MARS, it is likely to be open again in October or November for 3 months. Yes, if someone vacates a post on MARS, we can use that post to fill with an at risk member of staff if appropriate.
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LAASP
Q: Are IT and digital in phase 2 for integration with LAASP partners? What does this mean for timelines and when can we expect to go into formal consultation?
A: IT and Digital are in phase 2 which will be Q4 (Jan–March 2026). There has already been a lot of work done with teams across LAASP to determine new structures, so I would expect a timeline of when consultation will happen will be shared with teams within the coming months.
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Q: Appreciate that there will be more information to follow, but can we provide an outline of timescales for each of the 4 groups? Staff are currently interpreting the information provided differently and worried why they haven't been approached by their SRO about a workshop. Expected timescales for each group may help manage expectations.
A: We will feed this back to the Corporate Services Project team to ensure further updates get out to people. The first service to integrate will be People, Culture and OD. They are on track to complete their target operating model by Q3 and will start their first phase of integration by the end of the calendar year. The remaining Groups are aiming to have their TOMs designed by the end of December
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Q: Could we have a simplified and clear version of what is happening with corporate services. People are becoming anxious and worried, not knowing what is happening within the next year, where they will be, are they relocating etc and what corporate services will look like. The easier option being - looking for new jobs, which is sad when people enjoy their jobs.
A: We understand colleagues’ concern around these changes and will feed this back to the project team. Updates will continue to be shared in the Stronger Together bulletins and from your SRO.
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Q: The 'in house' model of soft FM / Hard Fm is clearly being beneficial and the correct thing to do both morally and financially in not allowing private sector profit to continue to take revenue away from frontline services. Will all services be coming 'in' and following this model at all future LAASP partner sites due to join up with the group excepting that existing contracts would have to be concluded or agreements made to exit early.
A: As other organisations join the group, a due diligence exercise will be completed for any services that could potentially be brought in house. That exercise will review a lot of things, and importantly the length/success of the existing contract.
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Q: We were told no redundancies but have heard people have already been made At Risk as a result of LAASP. In time of a vacancy freeze when alt roles are very limited - is this not just disguised redundancy. People very concerned about job security.
A: Where there is an organisational or service change and roles change, the change management policy is applied and where appropriate, people are placed at risk. This is to determine who is eligible to apply or be slotted in to the new posts. We are continuing to strive for no redundancies as we are creating new and different roles as part of the corporate services review. As we have held so many corporate vacancies, we hope that no one is made redundant through this process.
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Q: If jobs are at risk, can you be honest and tell us sooner rather than later as the majority of us rely on this job to live with the commitments outside of working lives and this is the anxiety we are living with right now - the unknown is what it feels like.
A: Where people become at risk, we will manage this in accordance with the Change Management Policy, which requires consultation at the earliest opportunity.
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Q: Could you please explain why divisional managers at LWH have been uplifted to associate director roles without the positions being advertised or going through a recruitment process, while other staff have been required to reapply for roles, moved elsewhere within the group, or faced changes to their positions? The justification given is that the uplift reflects ‘more responsibility’, but shouldn’t this principle apply consistently across the wider workforce? Furthermore, how is it that leadership have personally benefited from these organisational changes, when the wider workforce has not been afforded the same opportunities?
A: Whilst LWH move forward in the group structure model, there will remain differences in roles, hierarchies, structures and bandings across a range of departments. It is the aim to standardise and align roles in departments across the group wherever appropriate, this will take a period of time. An example of this is in the current development of target operating models for corporate services teams where consistency across the hospitals is the objective but transitional periods may be required. Regarding these specific posts, the posts were submitted for job evaluation prior to the formation of the group and differ in content and structure to roles at LUHFT. Relevant teams have had this feedback.
Parking
Q: Are there any updates on Mulgrave car park about when it goes and what happens to staff who park there.
A: We still expect to lose access to this at the end of the calendar year. Our Estates and Facilities team are currently exploring other options which are being assessed and we will report back shortly with further information.
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Q: Please can you explain why the same cars are parking in all the same places, every single day, where they are not supposed to park in Broadgreen Hospital and not being penalised for it? At the moment, cars can just stop wherever they like, park, and all they get is yet another white slip on the windscreen, and it is staff who are doing it. Flouting the rules like this should not be allowed.
A: The car parking team will manage this, we are introducing parking charge notices very soon, just waiting for some legalities to be signed off.
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Q: Disabled parking at the Royal for eligible staff is becoming more problematic, with non-eligible staff using these spaces with no regard to their colleagues who need these spaces. I appreciate you say it’s a large area to cover but that is just not good enough
A: Yes, this is frustrating and is unacceptable practice for any driver to park in a blue bay without a blue badge. Unfortunately car parking bad practice continues and it is often our own staff as you have stated. We will ask the car parking team to continue to monitor this and issue parking charge notices. Similarly, we would ask all staff to park in line with the terms and conditions as you would on public roads.
General
Q: Another issue we are still having at the Edwards Building is the doors not working when it's been raining. This has been going on for two years now with no solution provided. I got trapped in the doors on Monday and hurt my arm - who can I escalate this to? It won't be long before someone is seriously hurt.
A: Please log a job via 8888.
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Q: Sometimes TOC forms are submitted, and decisions made at TOC hub before a best interest meeting has been completed (for those that need it), is that legal?
A: Could I ask that you bring this to the attention of the site Hospital Leadership Team who can look at any particular examples you may have. You can do this confidentially. Thanks.
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Q: Could we get some clarity on the office attendance expectations? Most of us are coming in three days a week. Just so we’re all aligned, is it three days for everyone or are there exceptions? We all have commitments and families but for some colleagues it seems they come and go as they please which puts a massive strain on office cover.
A: Flexible working should not be worked to the detriment of others working in the team. Teams should agree collectively what is the best pattern of working and how many days can be worked at home. It should be applied fairly whatever the decision is on days working from home.
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Q: What waiting lists have been reduced, non admitted or admitted?
A: The RTT waiting list which includes both admitted and non-admitted patients has reduced.
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Q: Could you give some examples of why patients have been removed from the waiting list and what safety measures are in place to ensure we're not removing patients incorrectly?
A: Examples include where patients have already had treatment but this has not been recorded, patients who have been treated elsewhere, duplicative pathways, where national guidance may not have been applied. There is a review process in place before patients are removed to ensure it is clinically appropriate to do so and to ensure patients are removed in line with national guidance.
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Q: Do LWH now have a MET team?
A: Just being finalised, plan is to implement mid-September.
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Q: Could the seatbelt protector be used for patients who have had open heart surgery?
A: This has been specifically tested with patients who have had breast cancer and have received surgery/treatment. It's run by Ford UK and so it wouldn't really be up to the Trust to determine if other conditions could be included.
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Q: Now Mossley Hill hospital has been made ready for the Merseycare services to move over, will Broadoak in Broadgreen be assigned to admin staff? What are the future plans for this building?
A: Broadoak remains a Merseycare building and facility. If it becomes vacant at any point it's use will be evaluated for its best use of the space.
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Q: Are there any plans to better disseminate the staff briefing content and Q&A to staff unable to attend? e.g. provide a summary emailed out to everyone
A: We share the Q&A once completed on the intranet and this includes the recording. It is also included in Liverpool News and staff Facebook. We are looking at more ways we can summarise the staff brief for staff to ensure messages are cascaded.
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Q: I have worked for NHS for 34 years and will miss out on my badge - can we get them for retrospective shar service
A: Badges will be issued corresponding to the individual length of service (NHS and LUHFT) and won't be issued retrospectively. If there is sufficient demand, there could be an option to purchase badges retrospectively in the future, once the scheme has launched. Badges will initially launch at the upcoming moments that matter events, for those celebrating 25, 40 and 50 years of service. Remaining badges (5,10, 20, and 30 years) will launch in early 2026.
Q: Can we get a breakdown of Business HR staff and who is appropriate contact for our areas. There has been a lot of turnover and the intranet / staff hub is very out of date.