Office party with cake went wrong as staff called into room

PRIVATE HOSPITAL ORGANISATION INSISTS TIMING OF ANNOUNCEMENT COULD NOT BE HELPED AND SAYS ALL AFFECTED COLLEAGUES ARE BEING SUPPORTED 12:27, 30 May 2025Updated 13:03, 30 May 2025 Staff at a

well-known Liverpool private hospital were left in tears as they were told their jobs were at risk of redundancy just as they were bidding farewell to another colleague. People working at

Spire Liverpool Hospital on Greenbank Drive in south Liverpool were marking the departure of a popular colleague and sharing a goodbye cake when they were called into a room and told that

their own jobs could be going as well. Spire has insisted that the timing of the announcement was unfortunate and could not be helped, because affected staff needed to be told of the

situation. The organisation said it continues to provide support to affected staff members in Liverpool though its management teams, Freedom to Speak Up Guardians and Mental Health First and

is helping those at risk to find new roles, either inside or outside of the company. Explaining the planned changes, Spire - which is the second-largest provider of private healthcare

across the UK - said it has announced some proposed changes to resourcing at its Liverpool site. A spokesperson said this is focussed on "providing safe, high-quality care more

efficiently to meet the evolving needs of our patients, payors and consultants." The changes, the company said, are part of a "wider, multi-year transformation and digitalisation

strategy and on-going efficiency and savings programme for this year." Staff members who contacted the ECHO said they were distressed by the news, particularly as it came just as one

popular team member was being bid farewell. Speaking about the proposals, a spokesperson for Spire said: "In recent months, Spire Healthcare opened Patient Support Centres, centralising

administrative functions for a number of our hospitals, including Spire Liverpool Hospital. Article continues below "As well as freeing up more space in our hospitals for clinical use,

these centres are helping us answer patient calls more quickly, increase bookings, and fill slots, providing a more seamless, consistent, and effective service. We have started a

consultation process to move some administrative activity from the Spire Liverpool site to a Patient Support Centre. "We will support colleagues who wish to move to a new role in one of

our Patient Support Centres or alternative suitable role wherever possible." As a result of the proposals, Spire says it has taken the "difficult decision to place some clinical

and non-clinical roles at Spire Liverpool Hospital at risk of redundancy." The company said it was unable to confirm the total number of colleagues who will be affected, but insisted

there will be no reduction in patient-facing clinical hours or target safe staffing ratios. A spokesperson added: "We are fully committed to clear and open communication, and fair

consultation. Spire Liverpool Hospital is providing support to our affected colleagues through their management teams and people teams, Freedom to Speak Up Guardians, and Mental Health First

Aiders. Colleagues are also being helped to find their next role, whether that be inside or outside Spire." Article continues below Justin Ash, CEO of Spire Healthcare said:

“Transforming our business to deliver ever more safe and efficient care is central to how we run great hospitals, develop new services and deliver strong financial performance that allows us

to invest in the future. “These proposals will help us be more consistent and effective in the way we set ourselves up to deliver outstanding, personalised care and service for our

patients, payors and consultants. “Decisions involving our colleagues are not ones we take lightly, but they are necessary to ensure our hospitals are consistently set up to deliver

high-quality care with the flexibility and responsiveness needed for the future.”