HEALTH workers' union Unison is consulting lawyers to see if it has grounds to apply for an injunction to halt the consultation process into job losses at Queen Mary's Hospital, Sidcup.
It has now been revealed 527 staff have received letters warning them their jobs are at risk, although the hospital says the number is not the amount of people who will eventually be made redundant.
Unison told News Shopper this week it does not believe the consultation, Fit4Future, launched by Queen Mary's management in March, meets the spirit of jobs legislation and may also breach its legal requirements.
A union spokesman said: "There is no question the hospital has a serious funding problem and there is nothing Unison can do locally about Government policies which are affecting Queen Mary's funding and its deficit."
He said the union was encouraging members to comment on the proposals and make suggestions on savings without losing jobs.
He added: "I don't see how the hospital can provide anything near a decent service when they are getting rid of so many jobs.
"The portering service will be decimated."
Unison claims there were many factual mistakes in the consultation documents and says it is not confident the third and latest draft has been corrected.
Its spokesman said: "We are still not clear on how these proposals will affect the community.
"The services are being reconfigured and this must have some effect, but is is not being properly explained."
The union says it will consult its members on whether they want to take industrial action over the Fit4Future proposals.
He said: "We have not ruled it out but health service workers are always loathe to take action because of the effects on patients."
In the meantime it is holding regular meetings with members whose jobs are at risk.
Queen Mary's says it has had an "excellent" response to the consultations, which ends on June 28.
It has received more than 90 contacts, many of which include alternative proposals, and says it would welcome more.
People can view the Fit4Future documents on the hospital's new website at qms.nhs.uk and email any comments or suggestions to fit4future@qms.nhs.uk
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