220 health service jobs will be cut to save costs (From Echo)

220 health service jobs will be cut to save costs

7:20am Thursday 14th October 2010 in Health By Emma Palmer

220 health service jobs will be cut to save costs

MORE THAN 220 staff at NHS South West Essex are set to lose their jobs over the next three months as part of drastic cash-saving cuts.

The redundancies are the latest to be announced by the troubled primary care trust, which less than two weeks ago made assurances that only 100 staff would get the boot.

Now health bosses have confirmed the latest 224 job losses – mainly administrational posts – are the first phase and warned there will be more when NHS South West Essex and NHS South East Essex come together under one chief executive.

Unison regional officer Nick Bradley said: “These redundancies are a tragedy for hundreds of health service staff coming at a time when there are already growing numbers of people unemployed in the local economy.

“Staff will find it increasingly difficult to secure alternative employment.

“However they also represent significant cuts to local health services which will be felt by everyone who lives in the area.

“While the PCT is talking to the trade unions and offering voluntary redundancy to its staff, these cuts cannot be carried through without devastating impact on the local health services.”

The cuts are being made as the trust, which serves Basildon, Billericay, Wickford and Thurrock, tries to grapple with a £52million funding deficit.

Last month it announced it was to stop funding IVF treatment for anyone except recovered cancer patients and was delaying non-vital operations.

Mr Bradley added: “Make no mistake these cuts and redundancies will affect every family in South West Essex .

“Our Union will fight hard to defend its members jobs and to protect health services.”

Every member of staff at the PCT was sent a letter in September, warning them of the dire financial situation at the trust and calling for voluntary redundancies.

One worker, based at the PCT headquarters in Christopher Martin Road, Basildon, who asked not be identified, said: “We are all terrified for our jobs. ”

Andrew Pike, chief executive of NHS South West Essex, said: “These redundancies are highly regrettable and are a direct consequence of our overspend.

“We now need to bring the workfroce down to a more sustainable position.”

CONSULTATION LAUNCHED OVER JOBS

• HEALTH chiefs at a cash-strapped primary care trust have launched a 90-day consultation period with staff over plans to axe 224 posts. Bosses from NHS South West Essex will spend the next three months consulting with employees and unions over controversial job losses. Cuts to help plug a £52million financial blackhole at the trust were announced last month, but initially health chiefs said only 100 non-clinical staff would go. But on Tuesday workers were dealt the bitter blow that this figure would more than double to 224, with the possibility of more redundancies in the near future. The trust, which serves Basildon, Billericay, Wickford and Thurrock, is in the red due to massive overspending last year. Since 2008, the number of staff on the books at the primary care trust has gone from 316 to 423. Luella Dixon, human resources project director, who is supporting the redundancy process at the trust, added: “In the current economic environment, we can no longer afford the level of staffing we currently have, so difficult decisions are having to be made. “We aim to be open and fair and keep our staff informed throughout this process. “These changes will not impact on patient care. “Staff who could potentially be at risk, and involved in the consultation, are in non-clinical roles.”