CAMPAIGNERS fought to stick up for porters “who are more like family” who risk being moved to a hospital 40 miles away under new plans.

King George Hospital could relocate its sterilisation staff, who clean medical equipment to avoid cross-contamination, to a new base in Kent if Barking, Havering and Redbridge University Trust (BHRUT) award the contract to IHSS, a private company.

A protest was held to protect the staff, who warn that operations could be cancelled if the move goes ahead.

Meanwhile, more than 28,000 people and 180 staff members have signed a petition to keep the employees, who work for Steris Services, at the Ilford hospital.

Andrew Ruff, 35, of Rainham, a health and safety representative and team leader who has worked at King George Hospital for eight years, said the move could jeopardise patient safety.

“Operations could be cancelled or postponed, which could put lives and safety at risk,” he said.

He urged the trust to give staff clarity.

“”We want to know what’s going on. I don’t know what they’re playing at. Why is this taking so long? At the end of the day, they’re only interested in the money side of it.”

Mr Ruff said uncertainty was damaging team spirit.

“Everyone’s morale at present is very low. We are focusing on the job 100 per cent but obviously morale isn’t good.

“This makes me worried about my future. I could work at another site but for others it could be different.

“The staff don’t want us to go. It’s going to be a silly move if it happens. There would be a loss of expertise.”

He says their team is tight-knit and personal relations would certainly “take a hit” if the move went through.

“Me and the other staff are like a family. We have known each other for 10, 15 years or more. Quite a lot of the members of staff live locally so we have a good working relationship.

“It would be terrible to lose that if we were split up,” Mr Ruff added.

Staff were meant to discover their fate this week, but have been plunged into more uncertainty after no announcement came.

Mr Ruff is hopeful the trust will reveal their future next week.

The staff unit are frequently called upon in emergencies to take sterile trays to Queen’s Hospital in Romford.

Opponents of the move argue the 40 mile distance will prevent a rapid response time to requests for equipment, which is essential for the job.

The move would cause “chaos” for patients through cancelled operations and leave many staff unable to afford to get to work, campaigners warn.

Mr Ruff warned the trust the trust that cost-cutting measures do not always deliver higher quality services.

“We as a unit are trying to make the trust take into consideration the impact of taking this off-site and the potential job losses it could cause. We realize the trust is trying to save money, but sometime cheaper is not always the best.

“Taking this service off site would eventually be an even more expensive service.

“We as a unit deliver an excellent service and have a great relationship to all main theatres across BHRUT. We are always asked to do favours between sites. Should a tray be needed urgently we walk the tray across or deliver it within three hours.

To sign the petition, click here.

The Guardian has approached BHRUT for comment.