N&N fourth worst for job cuts in country


24 April 2006 10:12

Predicted job cuts at the Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital are the fourth highest in the country, new figures revealed today.

The Royal College of Nursing unveiled its details of job cuts reported to the union since last October, with the 700 estimated to go at the N&N among the highest tallies in the country.

The full number of losses in Norwich will not be revealed until the N&N Trust board meeting on Wednesday.

The RCN has revealed details of more than 13,000 job cuts since October. It said about a third would be nurses.

The RCN predicted that 700 jobs would go at the N&N which currently employs 5,000 staff.

A RCN spokesman said today: “Our main concern is how can we lose that number of jobs and it not affect patient care and the services they get. It beggars belief to say it won't.”

North Norfolk MP Norman Lamp said the situation was “bleak”. He said all Norfolk MPs were invited to meet Health Secretary Patricia Hewitt next month to discuss the crisis.

Mr Lamb said: “I hope Charles Clarke will be at the meeting as well so we can present a united front.

“It's a massive challenge for the hospital and there is no doubt that patient care will suffer.

“At the end of the day this is a challenge for the Labour Government. It's their flagship hospital and they have got to take responsibility for it.

“The potential impact for Norwich and Norfolk is massive, if we don't get the finances sorted out.

“They cannot expect a hospital that has performed well financially, year in year out to meet exacting targets and budgets if they suddenly cut back to this extent.

“If patient care suffers, the responsibility is theirs.”

A spokeswoman for the N&N said: “We have never said that we are going to make people redundant.”

But as the hospital struggles to deal with a £22 million shortfall resulting from a paltry Government settlement, MPs said they were told between 500 and 1,000 jobs will go. The hospital has been on an efficiency drive to try to stem the losses.

The RCN figures also reported 150 jobs would be shed at the James Paget Hospital in Gorleston.

How the figures add up:

The Royal College of Nursing said its figures had been sourced through RCN regional staff and local activists and had been confirmed by press releases or Board reports from hospital trusts. Places with the biggest cuts were:

1. Uni Hosp of North Staff Hospital NHS Trust 1031

2. Sandwell & West Birmingham Hospitals NHS Trust 800

3. Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust 720

=4. N&N University Hospital NHS Trust and County Durham and Darlington NHS Trust, 700 each

5. Leeds Teaching Hospital NHS Trust 640



Are you a hospital worker worried about the cuts? Write to Evening News Letters, Prospect House, Rouen Road, Norwich, NR1 1RE, email eveningnewsletters@archant.co.uk or visit www.eveningnews24.co.uk/forums

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