'Scandalous' – medical staff and MP blast proposed closure of on-site hospital accommodation

Tenants at Derwent Court, Swale Court, and Loxley Court received a letter, seen by the Advertiser, from Rotherham NHS Foundation Trust on July 30 which was “slid under doors” announcing the proposed closure.

The letter from the trust's accommodation manager said all three sites would be “closed by the end of January 2025” as the accommodation was “no longer viable from a financial perspective”.

One tenant, who did not wish to be identified, said: “It's scandalous to throw out NHS staff who have given their lives to this hospital, through Covid and other times.

“I have lived here for five years and I'm devastated to be losing my home at such ridiculously short notice and with absolutely zero consultation or communication.

“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.”

One international employee who moved to the on-site accommodation from Malaysia in 2022 cited the “reasonable rates” as one of their “main considerations”.

The employee, who did not wish to be identified, said: “Many have chosen to bring their careers here – personally, I applied to do my training in Rotherham because of this accommodation.

“Being close to the hospital allows us to respond quickly to emergencies, be available for on-call duties with minimal delay, and ensure we can provide the best possible care for our patients.

“The accommodation is a safe and convenient option, especially for those of us who work long hours and irregular shifts.

“It eliminates the need for lengthy commutes at unsociable hours, which can be both unsafe and exhausting.”

They added: “With the recent racist attacks and riots against immigrants, even involving some NHS workers, this is a truly difficult time for international residents of the UK.

“The trust has just added more stress and uncertainty into our lives.”

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 – also seen by the Advertiser – said a fire service review of the buildings meant the extent of changes needed to bring the buildings up to modern standards was “unaffordable”.

While the review identified “no immediate need to cease use ”, the risks to fire doors and wiring needed to be rectified in the long-term.

“Unfortunately, this is not affordable and hence the executive team took the difficult decision that the blocks would need to be vacated over a period of time”, with existing agreed tenancy agreements of varying durations “honoured but not extended”.

Dr Jenkins added: “I regret the way this was communicated and I would like to arrange a series of open sessions to listen to your concerns and explore how the trust can provide support.”

Sarah Champion MP said she was “shocked” by the decision which had seen her email inbox “full of medics affected begging the hospital to reconsider”.

She said: “This extremely short-sighted decision will not just affect the residents, who face losing their homes and community, but also the hospital itself.

‘The accommodation means staff are literally on-site and therefore able to quickly respond in an emergency.

“It also means their very long, often unsociable hours are not followed by a long commute as the area around the hospital is very expensive.

“We now have record waiting lists and hospital staff still feeling exhausted and undervalued after Covid.

“I can understand why this decision would feel like another kick in the teeth, and I worry it may make staff leave our hospital.

‘This decision is bad for staff and for patients.

“I have urged the hospital to stop this decision and work with affected staff to find a way forward.”

A spokesperson for Rotherham NHS Foundation Trust said: “We understand the concerns about the potential closure of the three accommodation blocks which date from the late 1970s.

“A recent assessment identified some fire safety risks that mean the trust cannot continue to use them as residences in the longer term, unless the risks can be rectified.

“Whilst action has been taken to mitigate the risks in the short-term, due to the extensive nature of the work required, the costs to address the fire safety risks across all three blocks in the longer term are not affordable.

“The trust does have other on-site residences that are not impacted by the recent assessments.

“At the end of last week, the trust held two listening events with residents to better understand their concerns.

“There will now be one-to-one meetings with all the residents so their particular needs can be understood and solutions developed to resolve the situation.”

The trust did not give a total number of staff affected but confirmed it was not in the hundreds.

They added: “There are a range of tenancies in regards to the accommodation, ranging from a single night to six months.

“The majority of tenants are on short-term rolling two-month tenancy agreements, with six on a longer six-month agreement.”