BELEAGUERED health sector workers in Southend and Basildon are to be hit by more job cuts with 150 redundancies on the cards.

The Echo has learned the job losses are expected to be officially announced within days by chiefs at NHS South West and NHS South East Essex primary care trusts.

They are being made as a result of the two trusts merging to save money.

However, the news will come as a double blow to workers at NHS South West Essex who have already been hit by 224 redundancies in the past six months.

Those jobs were axed due to the trust, which covers Basildon and Thurrock, overspending by more than £50million, resulting in redundancies and massive cuts to health services.

Now employees for NHS South East Essex – which serves the Castle Point and Southend areas – are also facing the prospect of losing their jobs.

Nick Bradley, regional spokesman for the public sector union Unison, said: “Although we haven’t had official confirmation of this from the trust, we are aware these redundancies are to be announced very soon.

“This is extremely worrying and a nightmare situation for employees and for the economy in south Essex as a whole.

“We now have the prospect of 150 further job losses, on top of the 224 already made by NHS South West Essex in October.

“That’s not to mention the 200 or so posts being axed at Basildon Hospital.

“You simply can’t make cuts like these without it having a detrimental effect on health care. It’s impossible.

“We will soon have 500 or so health workers in south Essex who are all unemployed and all chasing the few jobs that are left.”

It is thought the 150 job losses will come from the commissioning arm of the combined primary care trusts.

A spokesman for NHS South West and South East primary care trusts said cost-cutting targets imposed by the Government to reduce management costs were to blame for the job losses.

He added: “In order to achieve the required cost savings, NHS South East and NHS South West Essex are commencing discussions with trade unions on any potential impact this may have on staff.

“We aim to be open and fair with staff and will keep them updated and informed throughout this process.”