Maternity staff at King’s Lynn’s Queen Elizabeth Hospital raise concerns over potential plans to abandon lease car contracts

Hospital maternity staff are worried over potential plans to scrap pool cars.

The two members of staff from Lynn’s Queen Elizabeth Hospital, who wish to remain anonymous, expressed their concerns to the Lynn News that they could no longer have access to a car provided by the hospital when visiting patients out in the community.

Instead, it could be that staff will use their own vehicles on visits and be paid for mileage.

A spokesperson from the Queen Elizabeth Hospital confirmed to the Lynn News that contracts for the leased vehicles used by staff are under review.

One of the maternity workers said that staff were first made aware of the consultation last Thursday.

She said: “We cover a huge patch, including rural areas and parts of Cambridgeshire and Lincolnshire.

“They have offered to pay our mileage, but that doesn’t include the wear and tear of cars. Some of us have lease cars and the extra mileage would impact them.

“Some staff do not have their own cars. Everybody is quite concerned about how it would affect them. Sometimes, we have to carry blood and placentas.”

No action has been taken by the hospital yet, and it confirmed that staff, including midwives, are being spoken to.

A spokesperson from the QEH said: “Contracts for our fleet of leased vehicles used by some staff are under review. This is to understand if they are the best use of public money.

“We are discussing this with our staff, including midwives, and listening to their views. No decisions have been taken at this stage.”