A TEAM of healthcare workers at risk of redundancy despite their help to ease the county’s hospital bed crisis have been saved.

Council bosses announced they would axe 13 care worker jobs from Bournemouth Intermediate Care Service (BICS), who provide vital acute care to patients in their homes, due to £426,000 funding cuts from NHS Dorset CCG – despite proposals to ‘bring care closer to home’ in its plans for a shake-up of health services.

Bemused workers whose team would be cut from 21 to just eight said the move was ‘sickening, outrageous and ironic’ saying it would put even more pressure on healthcare colleagues, therefore costing more for the cash-strapped NHS.

But Dorset HealthCare has now revealed it will take over the team in order to protect the crucial jobs.

Jane Elson, Dorset HealthCare’s service director for integrated community services said: “Following discussions with Bournemouth Borough Council, we have agreed funding which will avoid the need for any redundancies in our Bournemouth Intermediate Care Service.

“We are delighted the team will be able to continue providing support and rehabilitation for people in their own homes.”

As previously reported, the BICS team leader Joy Ainley told at the time: “The timing of it all does stick in everyone’s throat. Frankly, it is sickening, outrageous, ironic. We just can’t understand it because care closer to home is the Government’s focus. It has come completely out of the blue and has left us totally devastated.”

The community rehabilitation assistants, who were at risk of redundancy, make up a specialised acute care team including senior nurses, physiotherapists and occupational therapists who help rehabilitate patients who would otherwise be in hospital.

Joyce Guest, Healthwatch Dorset Chair, welcomed the apparent u-turn. She said: “At a time when the NHS is saying they want to provide more healthcare in people’s homes and in community settings rather than in hospitals, this cut made no sense. So it’s great to hear that they have now listened to local people’s concerns, seen reason and agreed to continue this valuable service.

“Healthwatch Dorset called for the BICS team to be reinstated because the care they provide for vulnerable people, when they leave hospital, is so important. This will be really welcome news for the staff and the people they care for.”

Tim Branson, service manager for Adult Social Care, Bournemouth Council said: “We have reached agreement that the BICS staff currently employed by the council will transfer to Dorset HealthCare, subject to the usual statutory processes being completed.

“We are pleased to have worked with Dorset HealthCare to find a solution for the future of the service which means the service can continue to provide excellent support care to people in their own homes.”