Hundreds of jobs face axe to save £50m at Leeds hospitals

Hundreds of positions are likely to face the axe at Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust as health chiefs battle with a new era of austerity in the NHS.

Details of the plans will be made public later today. Talks with unions are arranged for next week but it is expected managers will agree a savings programme worth £55.5m.

The cuts come after the NHS was ordered to make unprecedented efficiencies of at least four per cent in the coming year.

NHS budgets have seen a small uplift, unlike other parts of the public sector, but rising inflation has wiped out the increase, while hospitals face reduced incomes due to a cut in payments for their services. But officials say the position facing the trust “could have been a lot worse”.

No compulsory redundancies are expected but existing vacancies are likely to remain unfilled and departing staff will not be replaced.

Pay bills for 13,000 staff could also be reduced by freezing pay increments due to staff under their existing contracts.

All NHS staff other than the lowest earners are already having their pay frozen.

Other measures are likely to include further drives to reduce lengths of stay of patients in hospital, more day-case surgery and cuts in bed numbers.

Last night hospital chiefs confirmed further details of the plans will be made public later.

Details about cuts at other NHS trusts will emerge in coming weeks.

Bosses at the Northern Lincolnshire and Goole trust have already announced a reduction of 350 posts amid predictions tens of thousands will go nationwide from the NHS.