Circular 1 staff member speaks out after being made redundant

Healthcare company Circular 1 was deemed insolvent and passed to administrators after failing to pay its staff for two months due to failure to secure an investor.

The company launched Me and My Health Hub in Barrow as a means to transition away from Covid-19 testing. It offered health check-ups, but this was not enough to secure the future growth of the company. 

Restructuring firm Begbie Traynor took over control of the company. A spokesperson from Circular 1 said the staff have been made redundant after the restructuring experts said that they had 'no option' but to place the company into administration. 

An anonymous staff member at Circular 1 said: "A lot of the staff are here on a temporary basis, or just short of their two-year contract. They can't get redundancy pay." 

The staff member also said that they are fighting over pensions, and that the case has gone to the regulator now. 

READ MORE: 'No option' - Circular 1 Health enters into administration

"A lot of staff want an accreditors meeting. Suppliers have also been put in a bad situation." 

The employee said that the suppliers have been supportive of the staff and also want to understand what happened to the company. 

In terms of what they will do next, she said: "Job hunting. I have got a few things on the go. I'm trying to get back on my feet. It will take a long process to recover from the financial situation they have put us in.

"I am really angry about it. If they had been more transparent - if they had said to us the truth we could have sought other employment. They've been stringing us along for two months."

The staff member said it was difficult for them to claim benefits as they have to prove to HMRC that they have not been paid for the last two months. 

They said that they have had letters from the council about missed tax payments, and have had to rely on support from friends and family in order to pay their bills.