Hospital staff protest over accommodation eviction

Hospital staff and other local campaign groups protested outside Rotherham Hospital against the decision to close three staff housing blocks.

A group of NHS workers staged a protest outside a hospital on Monday against plans to evict staff from accommodation at the hospital.

Rotherham NHS Trust has written to workers informing them they are required to leave the three blocks, Swale Court, Derwent Court and Loxley Court, by the end of January over fire safety concerns.

The trust said a recent assessment of the blocks at Rotherham Hospital, which were built in the 1970s, had found "extensive work" would be needed and the costs were "not affordable".

Protestors said the decision would make working for the trust less attractive and could impact on staffing levels at the hospital.

Mike Suter, chair of Sheffield and South Yorkshire Save Our NHS group (SSONHS), said the hospital had "severe staffing shortages".

"It seems the trust prefers to prioritise service cuts rather than Rotherham residents and workers," he said.

Mr Suter said they believe about 76 tenants still live in the three blocks and include trainee GPs, mental health care workers and international students who value "the security" of living on site.

"We have a staffing crisis here," he said.

"But without the accommodation, this is no longer an attractive proposition.

"This is shortsighted. Nobody will want to come here."

He said there was a "severe housing crisis" in Rotherham and more accommodation was needed "not less".

NHS tenants have been notified they will need to leave by the end of January

One long term tenant who attended the protest, but did not want to give her name, said she had lived at Derwent Court for over ten years and could not afford to live elsewhere.

"I don't have any savings. I can't afford rent off site. I have no scope for luxury as it is.

"If I had to pay council tax, gas and electric I'd be really struggling."

The Rotherham NHS Foundation Trust said it understood residents' concerns and said it had offered to meet each of the tenants.

"The trust is committed to working with those residents affected by these changes to assist them in finding alternative accommodation and to retain them at the trust for the benefit of patients.”

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