Cambridge: Addenbrooke's Job Cuts

3 June 2013, 18:07 | Updated: 3 June 2013, 18:14

Up to 70 staff at two Cambridge hospitals face losing their jobs.

Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust will this week enter into a six week consultation with trade unions and staff who are at risk of losing their jobs.

Jobs will be affected at Addenbrooke's Hospital and the Rosie Maternity Hospital, which are both on the Addenbrooke's site.

The move is blamed on the increasing pressure to cut costs and save money.

However, the NHS trust has pledged to only proceed with the job cuts if there is no risk to the quality of patient care.

It's hoped around 20 of the job cuts can be achieved through staff retiring and not filling vacancies.

It's also emerged that this wave of redundancies is likely to be the first of three 'transformation plans' being considered locally by the NHS.

Doctor Keith McNeil, Chief Executive of the Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, said: "We are doing all we can to minimise redundancies but we have reached the point where we have to decide which roles we can do without. 

We must reduce our pay costs given the percentage the payroll contributes to our overall budget. 

Patient safety remains at the heart of all we do and removal of roles will only happen if there is no tangible risk to the quality and safety of patient care, and the effective functioning of our hospitals. 

I realise that this is a very challenging and anxious time which is going to be very difficult for some members of staff. 

Support, including offers of redeployment, will be given and we are making sure that anyone at risk is informed as quickly as possible. 

I would encourage all managers to take time to brief your teams to make sure that staff are aware of what is happening around them.

Workforce Transformation is trust-wide and all divisions, clinical and corporate, are affected and we will continue to review this agenda over the next few months to ensure we achieve the savings necessary. 

Our Trust is still in turnaround and under close scrutiny from Monitor, the Foundation Trust regulators. 

We have to transform to work better and smarter - for our patients and for a sustainable future. 

We need to do this to afford vital investments and initiatives such as eHospital."