Medical Secretarial Jobs Threatened

Trade unions have warned that proposals to cut the medical secretary workforce in Gwent could seriously affect patient care.

Unison believes that if medical secretary work is contracted out to a private organisation or even sent abroad, patient care could be compromised.

Gwent Healthcare NHS Trust is understood to be reviewing the ratio of medical secretaries within the trust, which could result in the loss of about 80 jobs.

If the scheme goes ahead, it is feared that there will be compulsory redundancies.

The Western Mail understands that the move would save the trust £1.25m next year, rising to £1.5m in 2008-09.

Medical secretaries provide a crucial role in healthcare as they are a vital link between doctors and patients.

They work closely with consultants to transcribe patient notes and details of their forthcoming treatment.

But Unison believes that foreign typists, often in India, could make potentially lethal mistakes when transcribing tapes made by consultants.

The union has pledged to fight any moves to cut medical secretary posts at Gwent Healthcare NHS Trust, which runs 23 hospitals and employs more than 13,000 people.