South Yorkshire NHS: More than 340 jobs cut
More than 340 jobs have been cut at a major South Yorkshire NHS organisation.
A meeting of NHS South Yorkshire Integrated Care Board next Wednesday (May 6) in Sheffield will discuss a report on the job losses. The organisation plans and buys NHS services.
The ICB was told it had to cut £31.5m from its budget last year as part of a national NHS shake-up that saw the abolition of NHS England and its integration into the Department of Health and Social Care.
The Government said this was to reduce bureaucracy and introduce more direct management of the NHS.
Other ICBs have merged to save money. The NHS was told it had to make efficiency savings of £9bn in total.
South Yorkshire ICB has reduced its workforce from approximately 850 whole time equivalents to 510 posts.
A report to the board says: “To help support this change, a voluntary redundancy (VR) scheme was approved by NHS England and implemented by NHS South Yorkshire.
“This saw nearly 190 colleagues apply for VR, of which close to 150 were approved.”
The first 90 staff have already left their jobs and another 60 will go over the coming weeks.
A consultation process with trade unions ended last Friday, April 24. It was extended for four weeks to address outstanding trade union concerns.
The organisation has a new chief executive, Chris Edwards. He was appointed following the departure of Gavin Boyle.
Mr Boyle retired from the role in mid-October. His departure package was reported as totalling £300,000.
Chris Edwards was his deputy and took over the job as interim chief executive before he was confirmed in the role. Mr Edwards has worked in the NHS in South Yorkshire for 20 years.