MEDICAL staff across the county are being balloted on strike action after the mental health trust they work for proposed a major restructure.

Administrators and medical secretaries at Sandalwood Court and other facilities in Wiltshire fear that around 53 full-time equivalent posts could be lost and specialised medical secretary roles may disappear if the proposals by Avon and Wiltshire Mental Health Partnership Trust go ahead.

This would have a massive impact on the workload of the remaining staff that could affect the quality and safety of care they provide in Sandalwood Court and other facilities.

However, the trust stressed that no jobs would be lost, changes to pay follow national guidance and no changes will go ahead during the dispute with workers union Unison.

In December, staff held lunchtime demonstrations outside their places of work to voice concerns about the proposals and voted for strike action in a consultative ballot held earlier this year. The ballot is open until May 22 and any strike action could start in June.

Unison member Sue Gill said: “This restructure has led to many staff, including myself, not feeling valued for the work that we do. We’re currently paid at NHS Band 4. The new job descriptions place our roles at Band 3 despite very minimal differences in the work that we’ll be expected to do.

"For a number of years vacancies within the trust have not been filled and the strain is now showing, I worry what the workload will look like when more staff disappear. I could lose almost £200 per month from my pay packet if this restructure goes ahead and whilst I’m close to retirement I’m concerned about the financial impact this will have on my colleagues.

The trust’s chief executive Hayley Richards aid: “We would like to assure everyone that we are not pressing ahead with any of the proposed administration restructures whilst we are in dispute with Unison.

“It is not the case that 53 full-time posts will be lost if proposals go ahead. Doctors and clinicians will still have administrative support. The overall number of staff in administrative roles will be the same, meaning clinical staff can continue to deliver high quality and safe care.

"As part of the administration and clerical review, all relevant job roles have been independently evaluated and the proposed new bands were approved as being in accordance with the work and responsibilities of the roles and in line with national guidance and levels. Our current trust policy offers anyone whose role changes pay protection for three years.

"The administration review has not been undertaken lightly. Our current structures and roles have grown organically over the years. This has resulted in many inconsistencies in job titles, job descriptions and pay bands across the trust. Some roles exist in some areas but not others. There are different reporting lines for admin staff and no standard ways of working.

The administration review aims to address these inconsistencies, to maximise efficiency, create a career framework for administration roles and to support staff development initiatives.

“We recognise that the review and the continued delay of implementation is causing further stress for all those involved. We appeal to Unison to work in partnership with us and to stop the mis-communications about the process and the reality of our position. Please be assured that we want to achieve is an outcome that is fair and transparent to all those who work in these vital roles.”