Much more scope for cuts by States, says Shenton
Tuesday 4th August 2009, 2:58PM BST.
Ambulance Service cuts possible
THERE is much more scope for public sector efficiency cuts than ministers or civil servants will admit, says Senator Ben Shenton.
He said that the ‘fat management structure’ within the States and various extras given to staff such as standby payments and free parking mean that £10m could be cut without hitting frontline services.
And in a letter to the JEP published today the Senator has highlighted the example of the Ambulance Service as an area where cuts are possible.
Senator Shenton – who was Health Minister before becoming head of the Public Accounts Committee – says that senior management at the ambulance all pick up lucrative stand-by allowances, despite the fact that they work a mainly 9–5 job.
But the acting chief ambulance officer, John Sutherland, says that the payment is necessary, and good value. He says that the emergency service needs 24-hour cover and that his allowance works out to £38 a day.
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£38 a day £266 a week for doing sod-all, i’d accept a job for £266 a week if i could get one, but at sixty-two i’ve been told don’t bother to apply !!!
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Well done Ben,what a different tale can actually be told when truth is embraced,the cynical ploy of trying to frighten the general public by threatening,school milk,patient services,cutting temperatures in hospitals,is just sabre rattling,and indicative of how stupid the politicians and their flippin henchmen think the general public are,what a disgraceful bunch they are by and large and where is the resistance of all the newcomers,Tadier,et al. seem to have gone suspiciously quiet, Daniel you commented on here,have you been warned off…?…a fair and democratic general election is desperately needed,all change ,same day is what is needed,and we won’t be fooled by this,”What about continuity” scam..for it is the very continuity of the rascal club we want to stop..and have fresh accountable representation where democracy works from the bottom up…not this current dictatorial and oppressive regime we have now.OUT …OUT ..OUT.
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Senior management and management is where the savings need to come from. Huge pay checks and final pension salary’s should stop immediately.
The only problem with this is that the people with big pay checks are the people with the power.
How about 25% taxation on all income above 100k per year?
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Whilst this is true I fear that cuts will be made at the lower end of the scale. Essential teaching assistants, postal staff, nurses, patient transport services drivers have already been made redundant.
Where does this end?
Sack the fat cats – aah but they are the ones sanctioning the redundancies, hardly going to vote themselves out of a job are they.
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I would urge the States to consider Senator Shenton’s propsed cuts in the ambulance services very carefully, before acting.
As a beneficiary of the ambulance service in the North of England, I am probable only here today thanks to the efforts of the paramedic at the sharp end.
So would suggest the Health committee concentrate on the administration side for redundancies, even if that means upsetting some of their pals, because like Britain, I would suspect the service is top heavy with management.
Good qualified paramedics are too valuable, discard.
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Strange to think, the Ambulance service has been asked to make cuts, so rather than thinking lets get rid of the standby arrangement for the chief officers, sort out the shift allowence for my senior members of staff, NO NO No lets cut the services for the elderly and infirm. Is it now time for change to ask all states members to make cost savings from managemental departments lets say for starters give back your £1000 pay rise for next year. It’s a real disgrace that this has even come to light, somebody has been neglecting there job role and things like these should be frowned upon and heads must roll!!! Lets get back to basics here and applaued the front line members of staff whom do a heart wrenching job and make savings from the top where from 1 fell swoop you could make saving of 100k plus with one position!!
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Start in the house Ben, some of the states members are not worth paying in brass washers, we could manage with 20 states members then start at the top of the tree, how can a chief officer carry on with his job after wasting over 6 million in the incinerator exchange rate debacle,obviously some of these top paid civil servants are in the secret handshake brigade, and are supported by “mates” in the house
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Hey before we start pointing the finger at ambulance management, lets start at the top Remember the politions HAD a £1000 pay rise at the begining of the 2009,did they give it back NO.
If you work out what we pay them is it right,as we all know it there assistants that do all the hard work and they take the credit. Every states Department not just ambulance that has big fat catson big fat wages and bonuses so for the sake of there health put them all on diets.
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Public Health have already started making redundencies amongst the lower scale staff.
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TTS are looking for a CEO who is qualified in engineering fromthe UK. This job has not been advertised in the Island – why is this?
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Good call Nellie,come on Wimbo…stop wandering the countryside frightening the ducks and answer the question…..
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