A MOVE to bring hundreds of outsourced workers at a west London hospital in-house has been made permanent, their union has confirmed. 

Cleaners, caterers and porters at St Mary’s Hospital in Paddington were temporarily brought in-house last year following a wave of strike action organised by their union United Voices of the World (UVW).

Many other outsourced workers at the Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust were also brought in-house and given the same rate of pay and terms and conditions as directly employed staff.  

After the successful completion of a trial period, trust CEO Professor Tim Orchard has now ruled out a return to outsourcing. 

UVW co-founder Petros Elia said the significance of the move “cannot be overstated.”

“Not only will this officially end what we believe to be the long-running discriminatory practice of outsourcing, it will also bring about one of the biggest redistributions of wealth in the NHS in recent history,” he said.

Mr Elia said the union expects that other trusts will follow suit, adding: “And if they don’t do it willingly, our members will take them on and make them!”