TWENTY jobs are believed to be at risk in York after NHS work has been awarded to a private firm. 

The Primary Care Support employees at Alpha Court in Monks Cross will be made redundant after private firm Capita won the contract, Unison said.

It is understood the administrative work - which includes sending screening letters, holding medical records and processing payments - will now be carried out at Capita's out-of-town offices in Leeds.

Unison have said the plans are indicative of the "mass privatisation" of NHS services. 

Natalie Ratcliffe, a regional organiser for Unison, said: "We are now going to have non-NHS employees dealing with medical records. It's yet another front-line service being privatised.

"There's a lot of anxiety there. Staff knew something was coming." 

Nationally, 800 jobs are at risk with 29 NHS centres closing and work moving to Capita, Unison said.

The NHS roles at Alpha Court will go in May 2016, the union said. Primary care support work at Blue Beck House off Shipton Road is also due to close under the plans, Unison said, however no services or jobs are expected to be affected in connection with this.

A spokesperson for Capita said it did not wish to comment as it had not yet taken on the contract.

The Press has contacted NHS England for a comment.   

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