Supporting this petition will demonstrate opposition to the 120 planned redundancies at KCL Health Schools, and help keep in place the people who are both improving medical understanding and ensuring a future generation of high-quality doctors and scientists - the academic staff. See below for more information, and visit www.kclhealthsos.org.uk.

This petition is open to everyone who opposes the planned redundancies at KCL health schools - members of the public, other students, academics, etc. 

King's College London has announced plans to cut up to 120 academic jobs in the Health Schools, affecting the Schools of Biomedical Science, Medicine, and the Institute of Psychiatry. These cuts are an attempt to compensate for financial deficits due to reductions in the UK public funding for "capital projects" - new buildings and infrastructure - at universities.

The academics at King's use innovative science to tackle some of the biggest medical challenges, and produce life-changing research in areas such as Alzheimer's prevention. In their role providing high-quality teaching and support to those studying to be doctors and scientists, the academics at King's are ensuring a bright future for medical care and future breakthroughs.

Health School students have grave concerns over the long-term impact these cuts will have. Other options aside from redundancy have not been transparently explored, and prior to the decision there has been no consultation with staff or students on how standards of research and education will be maintained.

We are calling for a number of steps to be taken before redundancies are considered as an option:

1.    Extend the consultation period from 45 to 90 days, and have meaningful two-way consultations open to staff, students and unions.

2.    Exhaustively explore and outline alternatives to redundancies.

3.    Comprehensively assess the detrimental impacts of redundancies on teaching and research.

4.    Issue a response to all staff, students and unions in the Health Schools within 5 working days of receipt of this petition.

If you are a student at the Health Schools please share your own experiences and concerns about the redundancies in "reasons for signing".