SCORES of workers at a Derry call centre which deals with suicide have been warned their jobs are at risk.
The warning to Lifeline workers comes a day after statistics revealed that Derry has the highest unemployment rate in the North.
The threat to the service has been condemned by both Sinn Fein and SDLP politicians.
Lifeline employs 134 people in two offices – one at Strand Road in Derry and the other in Belfast.
But a contract for the 24/7 helpline, funded by the Department of Health, is due to expire at the end of this year.
The Public Health Agency is consulting on Lifeline’s future which is now hanging by a thread.
If the PHA does not renew the contract, 134 people in Derry and Belfast will join the dole queue.
Fergus Cumiskey, managing director of the charity, Contact, who manage Lifeline, said all Lifeline jobs across Northern Ireland were now at risk.
He said: “From our read of the PHA outline business model for Lifeline, the changes are so radical that we believe all jobs associates with the current model are in jeopardy.”
Twenty nine managers, 72 counsellors, 22 trainee counsellors and 11 administration staff work across the two offices.
Every year around 90,000 calls are made to Lifeline.
Mr Cumiskey said that job losses would have a “grave impact” for those who rely on the service.
Last year Lifeline said there had been a large increase in the number of people contacting the service.
It says its crisis response service had risen by a third.
The PHA confirmed it was holding a 12-week consultation on the future of the Lifeline service to ensure it best meets the needs of the people who use it.
A spokesperson said: “The consultation proposals would maintain the 24 hour, seven days a week telephone helpline provided by staff who are skilled and qualified in talking to people in crisis.”
The PHA is proposing that the telephone helpline service provided by Lifeline staff be managed by the ambulance service.
The closing date for responses to the consultation is 19 November 2015.
Earlier today, Sinn Fein MLA Maeve McLaughlin said hokey cokey Health Minister Simon Hamilton needed to get to his desk and save the Lifeline service.
The chair of the Assembly’s health committee said:
“We have met Lifeline to discuss their concerns about the proposed changes to the service and the impact it could have on vulnerable people.
“These changes will fragment the service Lifeline offers and shift its focus to high risk callers which would have a negative knock-on effect on callers who are regarded as being at low or moderate risk.
“This organisation provides an excellent service, including follow up contacts for a range of callers and has literally saved the lives of many people.
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