Staff at Ipswich, Colchester and community hospitals take part

Cleaners, porters and caterers working at East Suffolk and North Essex NHS Foundation Trust (ESNEFT) hospitals walked out as the trust's board would like to test the market for external organisations to come in and provide the service.

Placard-waving workers gathered outside Ipswich Hospital warned the decision could threaten patient safety due to declining standards of cleanliness increasing the risk of infections spreading.

The strike action, which is due to last until Friday, has been undertaken by staff at Ipswich and Colchester hospitals, as well as ESNEFT-run community hospitals around Suffolk, including Aldeburgh Community Hospital.

Mel Spilling, facilities team leader at Bluebird Lodge Community Hospital in Ipswich, summed up the shock of staff facing up to the potential privatisation.

She said: "It is quite a big shock that they are doing this when all through the COVID-19 pandemic we worked non-stop day and night to support the nurses to make sure the patients had the best care and now they are doing this to us."

Beatrice Bartilucci, a local organiser with public service union UNISON, which organised the strike action, said privatisation would have far reaching consequences for staff.

Striking workers were concerned about the potential privatisation of services (Image: Newsquest) She added: "Their NHS pension will be frozen, annual leave will plummet and they won't receive sick pay. At the moment, it is very generous because they work in a hospital and they are at more risk of being infected.

"That is why the NHS nationally is using a robust sick policy which they would not be entitled to if they went to a private company."

The board decided in April to test the market, but a final decision on whether to go ahead has not been made and will not be made until a full business case has been presented to the trust's board, which will most probably be in November.

A contract is yet to go out to tender.

ESNEFT chief executive Nick Hulme said: “Our top priority is patient care and safety and we are working hard for the period of industrial action to make sure everyone who uses our hospitals continues to receive the service they expect. 

“We are disappointed that Unison has gone down this route while we are still involved in ongoing conversations with them and their members. We are listening to our staff about the issues that are important to them.

“A full business case has not yet been submitted to the trust board and we remain keen to engage with our staff, and our staff side colleagues including Unison, so we get the best possible service for our patients.”