Hundreds of jobs could be cut at major hospital

Hundreds of non-clinical jobs are due to be cut at a major hospital.

About 500 support roles in finance, communication and administration are at risk at Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital (NNUH), although the final number has yet to be decided.

Last month, the government said NHS England would be abolished to try to "cut bureaucracy".

"There is an expectation that we reduce staffing costs and increase efficiencies this financial year to bring our trust to an appropriate size," said hospital chief executive Prof Lesley Dwyer.

"We are aiming to deliver a balanced budget whilst ensuring we keep quality of care front of mind.

"For the size of our hospitals, which employs in excess of 10,000 people, the reduction in headcount is about 500 posts for us."

The Department of Health and Social Care has already asked all hospital trusts to reduce the cost of support functions this year to 2022 levels.

Prof Dwyer said the hospital was facing the "same challenges" as other parts of the NHS and she appreciated it was a "worrying and uncertain time for many colleagues".

The job cuts could be made through a number of ways and at different levels of the organisation, she added.

She said the restructuring process was in its in early stages, but the hospital had already been reducing its temporary staff costs and would look at its vacancies before making anyone redundant.

In December, the hospital said all vacancies would be judged on a case-by-case basis until March as it attempted to plug an £11m gap in its finances.

Unison regional head of health Caroline Hennessy said the news was "extremely concerning" and would affect both front-line staff and patient care.

She said she was particularly concerned about the impact of the move on waiting lists.

"Unfortunately, we're seeing this across the East of England at the moment, with 500 job cuts being announced at Addenbrooke's last week.

"Fundamentally, the NHS needs these support jobs, and clinical staff will end up having to do the jobs of support staff who leave under these kind of job losses.

"We think, as a union, it's a short-sighted attempt to save money."

Last month, it was announced the hospital would effectively merge with two others in a major shake-up.

It will group as one management trust with The Queen Elizabeth Hospital in King's Lynn and the James Paget University Hospital in Gorleston, to "improve efficiency and deliver better value for money".

In a joint statement, the three hospitals said the organisation would be called the Norfolk and Waveney University Hospitals Group, with each hospital continuing to operate under its own name.

The NNUH is the largest hospital in the county, with 1,200 beds.

It treats patients from across Norfolk and north Suffolk.

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