Redundancy plan for Blackpool Heritage Tram workers despite assurances services will return
PLUS: NHS staff reluctant to get vaccinated ahead of winter surge in infections
Hello and welcome to the midweek edition of The Blackpool Lead.
This week we report exclusively on restructure plans at Blackpool Transport - specifically affecting those working with the recently suspended heritage trams.
Bosses at Blackpool Transport continue to insist that the trams will return and they remain a vital part of Blackpool’s attractions for visitors.
But while acknowledging the public interest in the services and the organisational changes incoming, they declined to answer questions from The Blackpool Lead about the number of roles affected and the nature of those roles.
We also look at the staff vaccinations rates at Blackpool Victoria Hospital - where respiratory illness contributed to making December one of the busiest months on record.
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‘Operational adjustments’ at Blackpool Transport amid suspended services
By Jamie Lopez
Redundancies are being planned among Blackpool Heritage Tram workers, The Blackpool Lead understands.
Operations are currently suspended on the much-loved attraction, with Blackpool Transport initially blaming operational and safety issues for that decision.
The timing of the decision, which led to thousands of people signing at least two petitions calling for the service to be saved, caused additional concern as it happened just before the start of the Holiday Express Christmas service. That service saw passengers charged up to £20 for a ride through the Illuminations on the Illuminated Western Train tram.
Since then, it has emerged that the railway regulator visited Blackpool shortly before the shock decision to halt the heritage trams and that two senior figures within the organisation have been suspended. There have also been accusations the decision was instead made for financial reasons.
Now, a source has told The Blackpool Lead that redundancies are being planned at Blackpool Transport and among those affected are engineers on the heritage tram service. Workers in HR, Operations Management and Tramway Management are also understood to be affected, though Blackpool Transport has not confirmed or denied what roles are at risk.
Despite the planned cuts, Blackpool Transport bosses insist they remain committed to the heritage tram services and intend to bring them back in the future. However, no response was given to the Blackpool Lead’s question on whether this would happen in 2025.
They also declined to answer questions about which roles would be affected by the changes - only stating that at the time of their email to us, no roles had been officially cut.
A spokesperson said that “operational adjustments” would affect “some team members” and were being made necessary by the broader restructure of the business. But, they added, the “Heritage Tram services remain an integral part of Blackpool’s legacy and our long-term vision for the community”.
The spokesperson said: “This decision is part of a strategic effort to secure the future sustainability of Blackpool Transport as a whole and aims to position the business to navigate ongoing challenges while ensuring the resilience needed to support all aspects of our services, including Heritage operations.
“Blackpool Transport is committed to exploring sustainable ways to preserve and support the Heritage Tram services for future generations. This includes working closely with stakeholders and the community to ensure these iconic trams remain part of Blackpool’s unique identity.”
Jane Cole, Managing Director of Blackpool Transport, said: “Our Heritage Tram services are a treasured part of Blackpool’s culture and history. While the current operational changes are part of a necessary restructure, we remain committed to finding innovative and sustainable ways to preserve this cherished tradition for years to come. Our dedication to our employees, our customers, and our community remains at the heart of everything we do.”
Blackpool Council was also approached for comment.
Frontline staff in Blackpool unvaccinated in spite of surge of infections
Frontline staff in Blackpool hospitals - and other hospitals across the North West - proved to be reluctant in terms getting vaccinated ahead of the winter surge in infections.
Even fewer had had the autumn Covid booster jab – barely one in 10 in some areas – in spite of the two viruses being part of the so-called “quademic” of illness that was widely predicted to hit the NHS this winter. Hospital services have been left under severe pressure in recent weeks after that warning came to pass.
All hospital workers who have contact with patients – regardless of whether they are medics or are in non-clinical roles – were offered free flu and Covid shots from the beginning of October under the nationwide NHS vaccination programme.
Lancashire hospitals have laid on special drop-in clinics and even dispatched ‘roving’ vaccinators to tour different departments administering jabs, in order to make it as convenient as possible for staff to get some degree of protection for themselves – and their patients.
However, it seems the annual public health message delivered by the NHS – urging those eligible for vaccination to take up the offer – failed to hit home even with many of its own staff this year.
By the end of November – the latest date for which NHS England statistics are available – the proportion of frontline Lancashire hospital staff to have had a flu vaccine stood at:
30.7 percent at Blackpool Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (although the figure has since risen to 40 percent, the trust says);
31.6 percent at East Lancashire Hospitals NHS Trust (which runs the Royal Blackburn and Burnley General);
37.9 percent at Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (which runs the Royal Preston and Chorley and South Ribble Hospital):
50.1 percent at University Hospitals of Morecambe Bay NHS Foundation Trust (which runs the Royal Lancaster).
The North West average was 33.6 percent. The figures do not include any staff who chose to get a vaccine via their GP or pharmacy – although that number might well be small given the convenience of the options available at their place of work.
The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation had recommended the flu jab programme begin on 3rd October so that the majority of vaccinations across eligible groups – including the hospital workforce – would be completed by the end of November.
The UK Health Security Agency said in guidance issued in the autumn that the timing would provide “optimal protection during the highest risk period” of December and January.
Across England during the first week of this month, there was an average of 5,408 patients a day in hospital with flu – almost four times higher than the same week last year. More than a dozen hospitals nationwide have declared critical incidents because of the pressures they are facing – although Lancashire’s four acute trusts have not so far been among them.
Meanwhile, an even smaller fraction of the county’s hospital workers have had the latest Covid booster jab. By the end of November, the take-up rate was:
11.8 percent at Blackpool Teaching Hospitals;
12.6 percent at University Hospitals of Morecambe Bay;
13.6 percent at East Lancashire Hospitals;
18.9 percent at Lancashire Teaching Hospitals.
The average across the North West was 14.9 percent.
Marie Forshaw, acting executive director of nursing and midwifery and quality at Blackpool Teaching Hospitals, said: “Since our vaccination programme started in October, we have vaccinated 40 percent of our substantive staff with the flu vaccine which is broadly in line with many other NHS trusts. These colleagues work in both our hospital and community settings which span across Lancashire and South Cumbria.
“The vaccination programme, which also includes Covid jabs, is available to all colleagues until the end of March and the trust has worked hard to ensure that people can access appointments in various ways. This has included drop-in clinics and roaming vaccinators who visit areas upon request.
“Vaccinations are an important part of the way we help to protect patients, staff and visitors during the winter months and beyond. This is why the trust continues to make every effort to make the vaccines available to not only substantive staff but our contractors and other teams – this is in addition to the figures shown.
“I would also encourage members of the public to get vaccinated and to remember that if anyone does feel unwell with flu symptoms, please do not visit a loved one in hospital until you are feeling well again – this will help us prevent the spread of flu and other seasonal conditions in our hospitals.”
News in headlines 🗞️
44-room Blackpool town centre hotel for sale as owner looks to retire (The Gazette)
Hundreds of staff attacks reported at Blackpool Victoria Hospital (LancsLive)
Abusive man cleared of partner's manslaughter (BBC)
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