Vital children’s hospital laboratory closure will have devastating impact on young patients and families

UNISON are preparing to hold a consultation on potential Industrial Action with its members working in laboratories at Sheffield Children’s Hospital.

A spokesperson said “members are feeling frustrated and angry about how they have been treated and we are ruling nothing out as far as what they want to do by way of action.”

Laboratory staff at Sheffield Children’s Hospital face redundancy following the announcement by the Trust’s Chief Executive, Ruth Brown, that the ‘wet’ lab will close in March 2024.

Staff who work at the laboratory at the Sheffield Children’s Hospital who currently carry out testing for many complex conditions, including leukaemia for children and downs syndrome tests for pregnant mothers, were shocked and angered by the decision following almost 3 years of uncertainty.

UNISON has lobbied through the pandemic to keep this vital facility open and the Trust stated that the decision was made by NHS England to reduce the number of laboratories in the northern region.

One UNISON member said following the announcement “The decision regarding moving all the laboratory work to laboratories in Leeds and Newcastle will add further challenges to current delivery, leading to increasing backlogs. It has not been made clear how patients in our region will benefit from this service change.”

UNISON representatives attended a packed staff meeting last week where no clear answers were given to staff. No explanation for the rationale behind this decision and no representatives from NHS England were present to answer questions directly.

UNISON Sheffield Community Health Branch Secretary Sue Highton said: “It is clear that the proposed closure of this facility will lead to longer waits for test results for parents and pregnant mothers and their families in Sheffield at a highly stressful time in their lives. This is something that will not happen in Leeds, leaving a poorer service for those in Sheffield. The Trust need to work with us to find an alternative and to keep this laboratory open so staff can continue their vital work for the people of Sheffield and South Yorkshire”.