Hospitals in Leeds are the latest medical trusts facing major losses to outsource medical transcription work to India to save nearly one million pounds a year. Around 60 specialist posts are to be abolished as part of the outsourcing. Hospitals in Leeds are reported to be facing debts of 84 million pounds. Several other hospitals in Britain have already outsourced such work to India.
Dave Prentis, general secretary of trade union Unison alleged serious mistakes had been uncovered at hospitals, which had already tried sending work abroad.
Leeds East MP George Mudie said: ‘I am very worried about the security of sending patient information overseas especially as we know that hackers can get into anything on the internet.
‘Also medical secretaries are highly trained in their areas. If there are any queries, they are usually in the same building as the doctor to be able to check. That can’t and won’t happen if the person typing is in India or anywhere else.’
Medical secretaries at St James’s and Leeds General hospitals earn around 20,000 pound a year. Similar work is undertaken in India for as little as 44 pence an hour.
