NHS Axes 900 Jobs Right on Hewitt’s Doorstep

Hndreds of NHS jobs are to be axed by an NHS Trust which has a hospital in the constituency of Health Secretary Patricia Hewitt, it was announced yesterday.

The University Hospitals of Leicester said 900 fewer staff would be working for the trust by the end of 2009.

The trust, which runs three hospitals in the city, said it expected 200 staff to be made redundant over the next two years, mainly affecting management, administration and clerical workers.

Chief executive Peter Reading said more patients were being treated in Leicestershire than the local NHS could afford, so savings had to be made.

Campaign groups and the Conservatives attacked the cuts, saying that job losses in the NHS had now arrived on the “doorstep” of Ms Hewitt.

Leicester’s hospitals had reduced costs by pounds 35 million, but more needed to be done because of a forecast deficit of pounds 32 million.

“We are working with the PCTs (Primary Care Trusts) to make sure that only those patients who need to be are admitted to hospital.

“Other patients will be looked after elsewhere through provision of alternatives in primary care and community hospitals.”

There will be 200 fewer beds in the hospitals and entire wards will be closed, said Mr Reading.

The trust runs Leicester Royal Infirmary, Leicester General Hospital and Glenfield Hospital which is in Ms Hewitt’s constituency.

Geoff Martin, of campaign group Health Emergency, said more than 24,000 NHS job losses had been announced since last year.

“This nails the lie that there has only been a tiny effect on jobs. These are real posts which the NHS depends on and brings the whole issue of cuts and closures to the doorstep of the Health Secretary.

There is no way the Minister can wriggle off the hook.”

Andy Belfield, Unison’s East Midlands head of health, said: “How long will the Government let this go on? How many job losses will it take for them to say, enough is enough, let’s see where we’re going wrong?

“A couple of years ago we had an NHS which was receiving record investment, waiting lists were down and it was headed in the right direction. Now, in such a short period of time, that is being eroded.”

(c) 2007 Birmingham Post; Birmingham (UK). Provided by ProQuest Information and Learning. All rights Reserved.