A leading union has called the decision to continue to allow a private company to operate ancillary services at an East Kilbride hospital as a "blow to staff".
NHS Lanarkshire has concluded a review of facilities management services such as catering and portering at Hairmyres Hospital.
It was a contractual septennial review of the soft facilities management (FM) services and a new price for their ongoing provision was agreed.
But UNISON, the largest health union, said it is "deeply disappointed" that NHS Lanarkshire has not brought domestic, catering, portering, switchboard and security services back in-house in Hairmyres.
They say despite the chance to change, the services will continue to be run by ISS Healthcare - a private company.
Lilian Macer, convenor of UNISON Scotland, told Lanarkshire Live : “It is deeply disappointing that cleaning, catering, portering, switchboard and security will continue to be delivered by a private company in Hairmyres Hospital.
"It is a real blow to hard working hospital staff.
"PFI contracts are not value for money, they do not provide better services, and staff are under less favourable terms and conditions. It’s more efficient if everyone works in the one team in the NHS.
"We have had years of promises from Scottish government and NHS Lanarkshire board say they have a strong desire to see these services return to being provided by an in-house team.
"But words will not improve services for patients nor improve the lives of the hard working staff who deliver them. We will not stop our campaign until we see an end to PFI in Lanarkshire NHS."
NHS Lanarkshire say its strategic aim is to bring these services - which include domestic, catering, portering, switchboard and security – in-house, so that the staff providing them are directly employed by the NHS.
This is in line with the Scottish Government policy.
Heather Knox, chief executive of the health board, told us : “We have a strong desire to see these services provided by an in-house team.
“However, we are constrained by the historically negotiated contract with Prospect Healthcare (Hairmyres) which we must work within.
"Soft FM services at Hairmyres Hospital will therefore continue to be delivered by an external provider ISS Healthcare.
“The current contract for soft FM services requires value for money tests to be carried out every seven years. We have recently completed the third such septennial review.”
At Wishaw General, NHS Lanarkshire has a separate contract in place with Summit Healthcare.
Under the contract, soft FM services at the hospital are currently delivered by an external provider Serco.
A septennial review of soft FM services at Wishaw General is underway.
Colin Lauder, director of planning, property and performance, said: “NHS Lanarkshire is currently in discussion with Summit Healthcare about soft facilities management services at Wishaw General.
"We will be in a position to provide an update once the discussions have concluded.”
Soft FM services at Monklands Hospital are provided in-house by NHS Lanarkshire.
The staff employed by Serco and ISS Healthcare delivering the services within Hairmyres Hospital and Wishaw General receive terms and conditions which apply to NHS staff.
Collette Stevenson MSP said she agreed with Unison that PFI contracts "are bad value for money" and said the cost of building Hairmyres was around £68m.
This was coupled with the "government’s decision to sign a 31-year contract with a private firm" for the construction and provision of staff such as porters, cleaners and security to be hired outwith the NHS and its employment terms.
She added: "Overall, this contract is expected to cost the taxpayer ten times as much, totalling over £680m. Instead of funding debt, that money could be going towards improving frontline services.
“The SNP scrapped PFI contracts so that more money can be spent on Scotland’s public services and NHS staff rather than absurdly expensive contracts.
“I have previously contacted NHS Lanarkshire on this matter and it is disappointing that the health board is constrained in many ways by the toxic PFI legacy of previous governments.”
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