Fujitsu Services anticipates cuts

Fujitsu Services could be the latest channel firm to make large-scale redundancies after confirming it is in talks with the 1,000 staff who worked on the National Programme for IT in the NHS.

The IT services organisation withdrew from the £1.1bn contract earlier this month, claiming local trusts had forced it to make changes to the system beyond the contractual agreement.

“Fujitsu Services can confirm that it will commence a 90-day consultation period for its employees working on the NHS Connecting for Health National Programme for IT.

“This process allows the employees to discuss, on a formal basis, the options that are available to them,” the service provider confirmed in a statement.

Unions have called on the government to ease the insecurity of staff working on the contract.

Peter Skyte at trade union Unite, said: “Government must act to ensure that the knowledge and skills gained in working for Fujitsu are retained, whoever the provider or providers are in the future, and ensure that the skilled staff can help the project continue to a successful conclusion in the interests of patients, the NHS and the health of the nation.”