WITH VIDEO: Hospital workers have been protesting against the use of a private company to type up patients' letters.

Protesters gathered outside Crawley Hospital yesterday lunchtime to highlight their concerns.

Last year Surrey and Sussex Healthcare NHS Trust agreed to allow a private company a trial to type up dictated letters instead of its medical secretaries.

At the end of the year it launched a consultation on outsourcing some of the duties carried out by medical secretaries.

Staff fear this could lead to staff either taking a pay cut or losing their jobs.

The demonstration was organised by Unison, which warns outsourcing could have implications on patient safety, confidentiality and confidence.

They say medical secretaries already provide a high quality service and the change would not save money.