'Appalled' MP backs NHS staff facing eviction from hospital accommodation

As reported by the Advertiser in August, scores of medical staff – including international employees who moved to the borough for their jobs – face eviction from three of Rotherham Hospital's on-site accommodation blocks after health bosses deemed the costs of bringing the 1970s buildings up to modern standards “unaffordable”.

Tenants at Derwent Court, Swale Court, and Loxley Court received a letter from Rotherham NHS Foundation Trust on July 30 announcing the proposed closure and telling staff they had to leave by the end of January 2025.

One tenant told the Advertiser: “This has been a bombshell for all of us – in particular, the hard-working international staff who have moved their lives thousands of miles away who are now effectively homeless, with no compensation and all of us scrambling for a roof over our heads in an already ridiculously competitive rental market.”

Tenants later received a follow-up letter on August 2 from chief executive Richard Jenkins which “apologised for the way this has been handled so far”.

The letter said a fire service review of the buildings meant the extent of changes needed to bring the buildings up to modern standards was “unaffordable”.

Sheffield and South Yorkshire Save Our NHS and Rotherham Hospital Accommodation Tenants Action Group are now planning a protest at the hospital next Monday evening (October 7), demanding the proposed evictions are halted, all health and safety reports/audits in regards to the three sites are published and given to the tenants, and all necessary repairs are properly carried out and funded.

Mick Suter, chair of SSONHS, said: “Rotherham Hospital has severe staffing shortages highlighted by my recent visit to A&E in August – there were ambulance queues and over a ten-hour wait to see A&E doctors.

“It seems the trust prefers to prioritise service cuts rather than Rotherham residents and workers.”

MP Sarah Champion said: “I’m appalled our NHS staff are having to protest to try and be heard by Rotherham Hospital bosses.

“It should not have come to this.

“NHS staff give us so much and they deserve respect from their employers.

“I stand in solidarity with the staff and will do all that I can locally, and in Parliament, to get them a safe, secure home."

A spokesperson for Rotherham NHS Foundation Trust said: “The executive team at the trust has made the difficult decision to close three of the accommodation blocks within the hospital grounds.

“The three blocks date back to the late 1970s and a recent assessment identified some fire safety risks that mean that the trust cannot continue to use them as residences, unless the risks can be rectified.

“No tenants have been asked to leave before the end of their current lease.

“We understand the concerns from the affected residents and have held two listening events with residents to understand these concerns.

“One-to-one meetings have been offered to all 76 residents so their needs can be understood and solutions developed to resolve the situation.

“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.”