Contractors linked to dirty hospitals
28 August 2012
Public-sector procurement practices have come under fire once again after Unison linked falling standards of hospital cleanliness with the contracting out process.
According to a spokeswoman for the public-sector union, cost reductions and tendering processes have favoured price over quality.
“Because contracts go to the lowest bidder, jobs, hours and pay are cut,” she said.
“But it is a false economy. As staff numbers have fallen, MRSA [or “superbug”] cases have risen and we believe there is a link.”
Her...