Fears have been raised about the future of up to 40 jobs at a mental health trust, which unions say are under threat from outsourcing plans.

Sussex Partnership NHS Foundation Trust has confirmed to The Argus it has been approached by West Sussex County Council to join its multi-million-pound outsourcing scheme with Capita.

West Sussex currently has a ten-year agreement worth £154 million with the firm for its corporate services, including human resources and payroll, involving up to 800 council staff.

Concerns have been raised that administration jobs at the partnership trust will be relocated from the trust’s headquarters in Arundel Road, Worthing, and its offices in Aldrington House in New Church Road, Hove.

Union officials claim the jobs will be moved to Capita offices in Bootle, Lancashire, meaning up to 40 staff being forced to relocate or lose their jobs.

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Union figures say that the move has worrying similarities to a recent outsourcing deal which ended disastrously.

The trust signed a £40 million contract with IT firm 2e2 in April last year but the firm collapsed with £50 million debts less than a year later.

The mental health trust is set to discuss its possible inclusion into the agreement at a board meeting next month.

A Unison spokesman said: “We understand the financial challenges at the moment which aren’t the fault of the trust but we don’t believe this move will save money in the short or long term.

“The NHS works very much as a team and the administration is vital to the running of the trust.

“Every trust in England is being forced to save up to 6% this year and the next year so trusts themselves are being placed in an impossible situation.

“The public needs to be made aware the NHS budget is not being protected as this Government claims.”

Sussex Partnership confirmed it was in the process of considering opportunities created by West Sussex County Council’s contract with Capita for outsourcing recruitment and payroll services.

Sue Morris, executive director for corporate services at the trust, said: “Like many other public service organisations before us, we are looking at the potential for market testing some of the departments that support our clinical services.

“We are committed to working with our people, staff side and unions to ensure that the best possible outcome is one where the quality of patient care comes first.”