UNION members picketed two local health trusts over controversial proposals that they say will mean cuts in their pay.

Members of Unison, Unite, the Royal College of Nursing, Society of Radiographers and other groups representing NHS workers gathered with banners outside Poole Hospital and Dorset HeathCare Trust’s headquarters in Boscombe .

Their demonstration was part of a series of protests following the setting up of a South West Consortium , which is chaired by Poole chief executive Chris Bown and has 20 member trusts.

Although the consortium has not yet made any firm proposals, discussion documents published on its Meeting the Challenge website have triggered anger among staff, who fear their working hours, holiday and pay could be adversely affected.

Claire West from the Society of Radiographers, said: “We have to keep quality staff in Poole, but they will go elsewhere if these measures come into force.

“Quality of service in the south-west will suffer.”

Chris Spencer-Smith from the Royal College of Nursing said: “Many of these trusts are quite successful. If you downgrade pay, terms and conditions they will no longer be the employers of choice. The biggest impact is going to be felt by low-paid workers. A lot of our members won’t be able to carry on working.”

After the protestors were invited into the Poole Hospital trust board meeting, Bruce Hopkins, a staff nurse in the emergency department, asked the trust to withdraw from the consortium.

“Staff are going through a difficult time at the moment with the merger and job losses. If you press ahead it will destroy the relationship with management and ultimately drive staff away from this trust,” he warned.

Mr Bown later told the meeting that the trust’s pay bill had risen by more than £2million a year, even with the pay freeze of the last two years, which is due to end next year.

“It’s not a sustainable position.

“Seventy per cent of our costs are in pay and in community trusts it’s 80 per cent. We have to find a way we can ensure terms and conditions set nationally are fit for purpose.”

Chairman Angela Schofield said she hoped the trades unions would join in discussions with the consortium .