3 weeks Ago
Up to a thousand workers across Norfolk's three hospitals are facing redundancy after NHS trusts were ordered to trim their numbers, sparking fears for a knock-on effect on patient safety. The Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital (N&N) announced this week that it alone is likely to have to cut around 500 jobs, following pressure from the government to cut costs. Other hospitals in the region refuse to be pinned down on numbers, but admit that job losses are probable.
The roles at risk are understood to be in non-clinical departments, such as finance, administration and communications, and come after the Department of Health and Social Care told hospital trusts to scale back spending on support services to match 2022 levels. Staffing cuts are also on the horizon for the region's other two hospitals - the Queen Elizabeth in King's Lynn and the James Paget in Gorleston - although precise numbers were not provided by either trust. Professor Lesley Dwyer, chief executive at the N&N, said: "There is an expectation that we reduce staffing costs and increase efficiencies this financial year to bring our trust to an appropriate size.
"For the size of our hospital, which employs in excess of 10,000 people, the reduction in headcount is about 500 posts for us. "I have been open and honest with our staff that we are facing the same challenges as the rest of the NHS and I appreciate this is a worrying and uncertain time for many colleagues." Lesley Dwyer, chief executive of the N&N (Image: NNUH) Prof Dwyer added that a reduction in temporary staffing had already made "significant strides" in creating savings and that any vacant roles would be reviewed before redundancies were made.
She added: "This reduction in headcount may be achieved through a variety of ways and at different levels of the organisation - we are at the early stages of this process and we are currently working through this." The region's three main hospital trusts, which recently agreed to an effective merger known as a 'group model', currently employ around 18,000 people locally. More than half of these are based at the N&N.
The James Paget confirmed it will also need to make staff cuts in its corporate and non-clinical departments, but declined to put a figure on this. A spokesman said: "James Paget Hospital is carefully considering its approach to the requirement for all NHS organisations to review its spending and staffing levels in corporate and non-clinical areas, building on the existing process the hospital has in place to improve financial sustainability. "We will engage with our staff once we have further details and processes in place to manage this.
" The QEH was also unable to rule out making cuts. A spokesman said: "We are developing a credible and robust action plan to support long-term financial sustainability, without compromising the high standards of care our patients expect and deserve. "These efforts are about laying strong foundations for the future, and we are committed to keeping our staff informed and engaged as our plans evolve over the coming weeks and months.
" While the cuts are set to be made in non-clinical areas, concerns have still been raised over the impact on patient care. Alex Stewart, chief executive of Healthwatch Norfolk (Image: Archant) Alex Stewart, chief executive of Healthwatch Norfolk said: "News of job losses will clearly worry staff, and we would hope any decisions are made clearly and transparently. "As the voice of patients, our concern is that care and support is not affected by these cuts.
"We are in regular dialogue with the trusts and will make it clear in those discussions that protecting frontline care is really important to the people of Norfolk." And Caroline Hennessy, of the UNISON union, said: "It is too early to know exactly where the axe is going to fall at the N&N, but it is hard to imagine a world where 500 jobs going doesn't hit patient care. "Whether it is front-line staff or the workers supporting them cutting numbers will affect the ability of nurses, doctors and other health professionals to do their jobs.
"The NHS needs real investment in staff, not a cull of jobs.".
