Newcastle is one of four trusts on Tyneside using the laundry at Gateshead's Queen Elizabeth hospital but after eight years it has given notice that it will pull out of the centralised service in favour of using the Sunlight Service Group’s laundry in Leicester.
The Newcastle Trust, which accounts for around 60% of central laundry’s business, claims that it could save up to £1m a year.
Reports in the regional press suggested that the decision was based on grounds of both cost and quality and this has angered the Blaydon MP.
Anderson said on Thursday (2 April) that he is awaiting a reply from the Newcastle Trust regarding the situation at the Queen Elizabeth hospital laundry.
"There are 100 people employed at the laundry,” said Anderson. “I am very concerned for the job implications and just exactly how £900,000 can be saved without a huge attack on terms and conditions, especially when transporting laundry over 320 miles as opposed to 5.
He added: “Perhaps my main concern is the assertion by Newcastle that quality is an issue at the Queen Elizabeth laundry.” He said that he had had discussions with the laundry’s staff, managers and chief executive and they were at a loss to understand where this had come from. Anderson added that he would be seeking a meeting with Alan Johnson after Easter, but would also be sending him relevant information in the meantime.
Allan Smith, director of operations for Gateshead Health NHS Foundation Trust, stressed that the Newcastle Trust had not raised quality as an issue.
“There was an initial agreement between Newcastle Hospitals Foundation Trust, South Tyneside Foundation Trust, Gateshead Health Foundation Trust and Newcastle Primary Care Trust to have a central laundry service at the Queen Elizabeth hospital. Newcastle has given two years notice that it wants to withdraw from that agreement. Gateshead and the remaining partners are reviewing the situation.”
He remained quietly confident that a revised partnership agreement could be put in place that would ensure the future of the “high standard” of service provided by Gateshead's Queen Elizabeth.
