Hospital trust plans to slash jobs

A hospital trust plans to axe jobs in a bid to make 60 million pounds worth of savings
12 April 2012

Up to 600 jobs are to be axed by a hospital trust under moves to make £60 million worth of savings in the next few years, it has been announced.

The Royal Berkshire Hospital Trust said frontline staff would not be affected by the cuts, which it hoped to achieve through natural wastage and retirement.

But unions said frontline services were bound to be affected by such huge cuts and accused the Government of "conning" people into believing that its massive clampdown on public spending would not hit services.

The Trust, which has a hospital in Reading, an eye clinic in Windsor and provides some services at a hospital in Newbury, employs 4,500 staff. Jobs to be cut will be in human resources, IT, facilities and general backroom roles, said a spokesman.

The Trust's Chief Medical Officer, Dr Jonathan Fielden, said: "Over the past few months we have shared with staff our triple aim of providing the best possible patient experience, the best possible health outcomes at the lowest possible costs.

"Everyone is now well aware that we are working to achieve our aim in a challenging financial situation which is facing the whole country and in particular the public sector. This year we have to identify and deliver a savings plan of £20 million (around 6.5% of our total budget), and over three years need to save a total of £60 million.

"One of the areas the Trust needs to look at is our workforce cost, which is the largest fixed cost - at over 60% of turnover.

"This year we will need to remove 200 posts, whilst protecting frontline delivery of quality patient care. We also anticipate that further consultations will take place in the coming years, with in the region of around 500 to 600 posts in total removed over the next three years.

A spokeswoman for the Department of Health said: "These decisions are based on the services that are needed locally and informed by sound clinical advice and patient choice.

"The Department is very clear that savings should be implemented in a way that does not affect the quality of frontline services and the Secretary of State has been very clear that every penny saved will be reinvested back into patient care. The NHS budget is protected and will increase each year of the Parliament."

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