There has been a phased approach to colleagues moving into the CfLM:

• Some LTHT colleagues have already moved in (including LTHT bacteriology colleagues).The remainder of the LTHT microbiology team will move in throughout June/July 2025.
• MYTT microbiology colleagues are expected to move to the CfLM at the end of September 2025 - a target week of w/c 29th September has been set.
• CHFT microbiology colleagues are expected to move to the CfLM in Summer 2026. The reason this is later than previously anticipated is due to a piece of work taking place across the West Yorkshire and Harrogate Pathology Network which involves the upgrade of the hardware and software of our single instance of Windpath (the network's shared Laboratory Information System, or LIMS). It is essential these upgrades take place to secure the reliability of our LIMS. The upgrade will take 6-8 months.

There may be a necessity for some services to move at specific times in certain groups, due to workflows and pathways. We will ensure the moves do not impact service delivery.

The NPP will support all staff to move to the CfLM. If you have concerns about the move to the CfLM, please discuss this with your manager or HR support (contact details for each trust are at the end of this document).

The sooner we can understand your personal circumstances, the more time we will have to resolve your concerns, help support and guide you appropriately.

Your personal circumstances will also be discussed on a 1:1 basis during the TUPE consultation, which will take place prior to the relocation.

The lead employer for the CfLM is LTHT and therefore all microbiology staff will transfer to LTHT under TUPE regulations which includes levels of protection for existing terms and conditions (T&Cs).

The target timeline for the transfer of service is w/c 29th September-25 for MYTT staff and in Summer-26 for CHFT staff - an exact date will be agreed and communicated to the staff as part of the TUPE process. LTHT will set out any changes that are likely to be made to your contract of employment e.g. your pay date, your employer, your work location.

Your current employer will then commence a formal consultation regarding the transfer of your employment to LTHT. Your union representatives will be involved in this process. The consultation will be over a minimum period of 4 weeks to understand the impact of the change on individuals and the support required to enable staff to transfer.

A launch meeting for the TUPE process will be arranged with your team at an appropriate time to formally launch the process and describe the details of what will happen during the process.

During the period of the transfer of services, any concerns regarding continuity of services due to staffing will need to be managed through consideration of how best to maintain services, and there are a number of options to consider to achieve this.

The NPP is keen to ensure all staff transfer to the CfLM. If staff do not wish to join the CfLM this could have an impact on patient care and service delivery. We would encourage staff members to discuss their concerns with their current management team so they can explore how you can be supported to transfer to the CfLM. Contact details for each trust are at the end of this document.

Staff who intend to seek alternative employment, rather than transfer to CfLM, will need to secure another role and we would encourage them to make their managers aware of this intention as soon as possible, to support service planning and maintain patient care.

Existing processes for feedback/suggestions or concerns within trusts can be used i.e. speaking to service managers or HR lead.

LTHT: David Clark david.clark41@nhs.net

MYTT: Leigh-Anne Hardwick leigh-anne.hardwick@cht.nhs.uk

CHFT: Kate Miller kate.miller14@nhs.net

There are roles which lend themselves to working from home at certain times in the week, while other roles require staff to be physically on site at the CfLM. The option of working from home needs to be a balanced approach but it is an option that will be made available as and when appropriate. The needs of the service are the priority, and any flexibility should not have a detrimental impact on that.

Using the feedback from the shift survey which was circulated in April 2024, a proposed set of shift times for the target operating model have been developed. Additional work is taking place to check these times against the anticipated workflow once the partnership is formed and as soon as there is a formal proposal, staff will be notified. We appreciate staff are keen to understand the detail behind this, so we are working on sharing the proposal with you as soon as possible.

Shortly after transfer of the MYTT staff to the CfLM, the lead organisation (LTHT) intends to consult with all staff regarding an organisational restructure. This it to align shift patterns across all staff and to move towards the target operating model that meets the anticipated workflow once the partnership is formed. The consultation will include a discussion about working hours and working patterns, taking into consideration the personal circumstances of all staff and working with you to reach an acceptable way forward, whilst ensuring the needs of the service can be met. CHFT staff will also have an opportunity to give their feedback on the organisational restructure as part of this consultation process.

LTHT staff at the CfLM currently work nights on a rota basis. CHFT and MYTT staff do currently not work night shifts at their respective organisations (rather an on call). The anticipated workflow once the partnership is formed will determine the need for the number of staff required to work each day and night shift.

There are no plans to move away from traineeship routes. Each trust is committed to supporting staff development and career progression. Apprenticeships and other relevant courses will be supported by each Trust in line with its existing policies.

Staff moving to CfLM will be supported to continue existing studies/portfolios etc. upon transferring.

No. Staff can continue to apply for development or flexible working via their line manager. LTHT has a flexible working policy that can be viewed below.

As per all requests, the needs of the service are the priority, and any flexibility should not have a detrimental impact on that.

Where possible, we will look to release staff to undertake orientation and training sessions before they move to the CfLM. This will however need to be balanced with continuous service delivery at the three trusts. Clinical and operational leads will look at which benches can be released according to demand and target TAT and pull together plans on this basis. It is likely to be small numbers being released rather than whole sections.

Where staff will be moving onto completely new kit, the requirement for training will be worked up based on the new kit and how differently you will be working compared to existing kit. An overview of the induction and training plan will be shared with the staff before they move to the CfLM.

Staff will not be asked to use kit that they have not undertaken the necessary training for.

Yes. Staff should carry their Trust ID Badge and present this to the driver when boarding LTHT shuttle bus. The LTHT shuttle bus has  changed its route to support the movement of services to streamline the service and make it more accessible.

There is a shuttle bus that runs between Leeds Train Station and Gledhow Wing (SJUH), and a bus that runs between the LGI and Gledhow Wing (SJUH).

Currently, the following buses go from Leeds City Centre to the Bexley Wing bus stop outside St. James’s University Hospital:

16, 16A, 42, 49, 50, 50A

These routes are subject to change, so please refer to the Leeds First Bus website for more up-to-date information. This website allows you to plan your route accurately.

Parking permits are not currently part of the contract of employment and would not fall under TUPE regulations.

All applications will be considered in accordance with the existing car parking policy and procedures to support permits for staff who need them. A number of spaces have been set aside for the consolidated pathology service.

Staff have been invited to submit car parking applications ahead of moving over to the CfLM in order to find out if they would qualify for a permit. Please speak to your line manger if you have not already done this and wish to apply for a permit.

There are weekend permits which can be applied for locally and there is a free parking provision in place from 5pm until 8am for overnight workers.

Yes, blue badge holders can park on site with a blue badge in any of the disabled/visitors bays without any time restrictions.  

If a blue badge holder would like park in a staff permit holder car park, they will be able to apply for a permit, which is free of charge, by sending the LTHT parking team (leedsth-tr.carparking@nhs.net) a copy of their blue badge and ID badge prior to the transfer to the CfLM.

Floor plans of the building are available below:

A visit to the site can also be arranged for staff or Trade Union representatives to see the new building and become familiar with its layout. Please speak to your line manager to arrange.

Ground floor:

First floor:

The CfLM is based on the St James’ University Hospital site. Staff have access to a large communal breakout area which boasts natural light and views onto greenspace outside the CfLM. There are also outdoor benches directly outside the building and many indoor and outdoor spaces just a few minutes’ walk away.

There is a staff health & well-being room in a nearby building which staff can access where there's a need for some quiet space (please ask your line manager if you would like details about this space).

Where an appropriately quiet area is required to undertake a specific type of work, we will work to ensure the correct environment is provided. If there are any concerns about the workspace then please speak to your line manager who can escalate these as required.

Lockers (418 in total) are available in the CfLM, which vary in size to accommodate staff who require larger lockers to store cycle helmets etc. Allocation of lockers (size/location) can be discussed as part of individual staff requirements. More details will be provided as part of your induction to the CfLM.

There are coat hooks in the locker rooms, and the building also has showering facilities and a dedicated cycle storage area.

The CfLM does not have a prayer room but there are prayer rooms on the SJUH site, just a short walk from the CfLM.

The CfLM is a five-minute walk from Gledhow Wing, SJUH, which has the following facilities for staff:

• Streat Shack – a range of hot food and cold snacks & beverages served all day
• Costa Coffee - offering hot and cold drinks and snacks
• M&S Simply Food - offering various food and drinks
• Amigo Shop to Go – convenience store offering newspapers, magazines, food and drinks
• Proper Cornish – supplier of pastries, sausage rolls and slices.

Gledhow Wing also has a large canteen area located opposite Costa Coffee where staff can sit and eat lunch.

Yes, information is being shared with trade unions through existing staff meetings and forums. We have provided information on progress to date, including the set-up of workstreams and information about our face-to-face engagement sessions.

We encourage staff who are union members to use their representatives to support in any queries that they may have for advice and support.

Trade unions are involved through the local meetings/forums at each trust. Each trust is engaging with their staff side representatives about the NPP.

HR processes and consultation around the moves are already underway and your HR representative can help with any queries you may have.

We are involving staff through a series of face-to-face events across all three trusts, and the feedback we receive at these events is being used to inform the future of the service (the last event took place on Tuesday 13th May). This FAQ document is also updated after each event, taking the issues raised into consideration.

Any trust specific queries will also be captured at these face-to-face events and FAQs pertaining to your trust directly will be available via your Service Lead or Communications Team (contact details for each trust are at the end of this document).

We have asked staff for feedback via several surveys, which asked staff to share information about what matters to them, including shift patterns and travelling to work. Completing these surveys has given us vital information that has helped to shape future working patterns and the support available for staff.

If you have additional comments or ideas about the future service, or transition period, please speak to your Service Lead who sits on the NPP Microbiology project group so they can add your feedback into the discussions.

Risk assessments and the quality and change management process are being pulled together. Impact assessments were completed in 2019, based on the concept/idea of the NPP as a whole (microbiology and blood sciences). These are be reviewed and updated so we have a microbiology-specific assessment.

V&V of the new kit in the CfLM has been ongoing ahead of the LTHT microbiology service moving from the Old Medical School (at the LGI) to the CfLM in May, Jun & Jul-26. New incubators will be delivered to the pathology labs at Pinderfields and Calderdale as part of the Managed Service Contract (MSC). LTHT will share the V&V schedule for the incubators so this can be completed at each site.a

Yes, tours of the CfLM have taken place recently for most of the MYTT staff (who are anticipated to move to the CfLM in the autumn-25). These tours were before the LTHT microbiology staff moved into the CfLM and therefore it is expected that further visits will be arranged allowing for the MYTT and CHFT staff to visit once the lab is fully operational. This will give staff from all three trusts a chance to meet colleagues they will be working with in their future team.

Plans for the NPP have been communicated to all ICB and GP colleagues and ongoing communications are planned as part of the communications strategy, as we move further on with engagement.

From a governance perspective, there is an NPP Microbiology working group which meets weekly and has attendance from microbiology leads, clinical leads and department managers at all three trusts, as well as HR, digital, communications, finance and quality colleagues. Supporting the microbiology working group are other workstreams such as workforce, transport, communications, and quality.

The working groups report into the NPP Steering Group which is attended by all three senior operational managers as well as executive leads from each of the three trusts.

The NPP Programme Board oversees the wider NPP programme and is chaired by David Birkenhead, Medical Director for CHFT. The Board has executive representation from HR, Finance, Operations, Programme and Clinical colleagues split across the three trusts.