A FINANCIALLY troubled hospital trust has warned that staff might be laid off unless losses are reduced.
South Tees Hospitals NHS Trust, which runs the 1,000-bed James Cook University Hospital in Middlesbrough, as well as the smaller Friarage Hospital, in North-allerton, North Yorkshire, is forecasting a £13m overspend by the end of the financial year.
The trust has also had to ask regional NHS officials to provide a loan of £12m to help meet other costs.
In December, officials imposed a selective recruitment freeze in some areas and announced they were looking for savings.
Yesterday, the response to the financial crisis hardened with the trust board approving a tough savings package.
A significant element of the plan involves a five per cent reduction in staffing costs across the trust.
This will mean that a complete recruitment freeze will be introduced, other than in very exceptional circumstances.
Chief executive Simon Pleydell said: "I appreciate that many colleagues across the trust are worried about redundancies. While we cannot rule this out, mak-ing people redundant will be an absolute last resort."
The fact that staff turnover is about 12 per cent a year, should help the trust to make progress towards a reduction in staffing costs, he added.
Mr Pleydell said the trust was also looking at different working practices.
"It could be that we can provide a service with fewer staff working differently," he said.
Earlier this year, the City Hospitals Sunderland NHS Trust laid off 71 part-time support staff.
Liz Twist, the regional spokesman for health workers' union Unison, said: "We are really concerned about the pres- sures this will place on staff who are still work- ing and on patient services."
"The NHS needs more resources," she added.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereComments are closed on this article