Hospital staff will be 'horrified' at cuts - union

A union says staff at a hospital trust will be "absolutely horrified" by the announcement of more job cuts.

Mid and South Essex NHS Foundation Trust, which runs Southend and Basildon hospitals, and Broomfield Hospital in Chelmsford, plans to cut 743 whole-time equivalent posts before March 2026.

Tom Rhodes, Unison Eastern regional organiser, said: "Staff are already struggling after last year's job losses."

Matthew Hopkins, trust chief executive, said: "This is a continuation of our work to ensure we have the right staff in the right places to deliver the best patient care while spending taxpayers' money responsibly."

In board papers, the trust said it had planned to cut 600 posts last year but that was later reduced to 450.

The report said the current proposed deficit was "not sustainable" as about £118m of savings were required this year.

Mr Hopkins said: "The number of posts and roles across our organisation has grown by 2,000 in recent years, so we are reviewing staffing models and looking closely at roles to see whether they are genuinely needed and represent value for money."

The trust has not confirmed what roles would be cut.

Mr Rhodes said: "Mid and South Essex hospitals are suffering cut after cut."

He said staff were "going to be absolutely horrified", adding: "The fact that the trust couldn't hit its cuts target in 2024 shows there simply isn't fat to trim, let alone more than 700 jobs."

The trust has also set an £85m deficit plan for 2025-26.

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