Job cuts planned as NHS trust looks to save £73m

Job losses are looming at an NHS trust as it looks to save £73.5m, documents have revealed.

North West Anglia NHS Foundation Trust (NWAFT) is also reducing the amount it spends on non-urgent care.

Its latest annual plan has set out a 6.4% cost reduction in what is termed "elective activity".

NWAFT's chief executive Hannah Coffey said: "We recognise the impact this may have, and we are committed to supporting staff members through these changes."

The trust runs Peterborough City Hospital, Hinchingbrooke Hospital near Huntingdon and Stamford and Rutland Hospital - as well as community services at Doddington near March, the Princess of Wales Hospital in Ely - and North Cambridgeshire Hospital in Wisbech.

"Elective activity" refers to planned, non-emergency healthcare services like surgery, outpatient appointments and diagnostic tests.

The trust is seeking to break-even by the next financial year, according to the plan.

It also "requires us to meet financial improvement targets of £73.5m" compared to the last financial year.

That would equate to more than 10% of its expenditure, according to the most recent published accounts.

According to NHS England, since 2018/19 non-clinical support costs have risen by 40%, or £1.85bn. Including pay and pensions, this figure rises to 56%.

Ms Coffey confirmed that NHS providers were now expected to deliver a 50% reduction in the recent growth of their corporate costs before the end of December.

"We are agreeing a plan to deliver this requirement and are committed to doing so in an open and transparent way with our colleagues," she said.

The number of job cuts planned by NWAFT is unclear and the trust did not provide a figure when asked.

But the Annual Plan stated that it was planning a reduction in NHS infrastructure support staff, corporate and non-patient facing clinical staff.

It stated there was a requirement to reduce infrastructure support staff by "50% of the growth between March 2020 and March 2025".

BBC analysis of NHS workforce data suggests that could amount to about 124 posts within IT, estate and facilities management, and other roles.

The trust is also looking to significantly reduce expenditure on bank and agency staff.

One person, who described themselves as such a worker, told the BBC their shifts had been cut by 90% in some areas.

"Bank staff are so stressed with now having no money coming in, using food banks and worrying about bills and mortgages," they said.

The BBC has not been able to confirm these claims.

Unison eastern regional organiser Rad Kerrigan said: "Across North West Anglia Hospitals, all staff are playing an important role in tackling waiting lists and providing quality care to patients.

"The loss of more than 100 staff is bound to make that harder.

"The trust is taking a measured approach to the cuts, and trying hard to avoid redundancies, but vacancy freezes and other measures to reduce costs will still pile the pressure on frontline staff.

"The NHS needs real investment in staff to face up to the challenges ahead - job cuts simply aren't the way to go."

Ms Coffey added: "Following successful recruitment drives in recent years, we have been able to reduce our vacancy rate across our hospitals.

"This is helping us to meet the national requirement to reduce the use of bank and agency staff.

"In line with other NHS provider organisations, we are also required to reduce corporate cost growth by 50% since 2018/19. We are agreeing a plan to deliver this requirement and are committed to doing so in an open and transparent way with our colleagues.

"We recognise the impact this may have, and we are committed to supporting staff members through these changes."

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