Hundreds of health managers face axe in region

At least 350 staff will be made redundant or retire early from the region's 14 primary care trusts (PCTs) in 2010-11 under a 23m savings initiative ordered by Ministers.

But a survey by the Yorkshire Post suggests the scale of job losses will be significantly higher at PCTs and the region's strategic health authority as other departing staff are not replaced, putting the full toll of positions lost at more than 1,000.

Hundreds more jobs will go next year in further cuts of 36m, prompting fears PCTs, which hold NHS purse strings, will struggle to cope. All will be abolished by 2013 and their responsibilities handed to GPs in the biggest NHS shake-up in its 60-year history – but in the meantime officials have a key role organising the restructuring while keeping a grip on NHS finances which are set to deteriorate as funding is cut.

Already some PCTs including North Yorkshire have plunged into deficit and Health Secretary Andrew Lansley was last week forced to deny accusations from Tory MPs on the Commons Health Select Committee that PCTs were "in meltdown".

Ministers ordered cuts in NHS management costs by nearly half over four years. These ran to 193m in 2009-10 in the regional health authority and PCTs, around two per cent of NHS spending in Yorkshire.

Figures show NHS Hull will see the highest numbers of voluntary redundancies and early retirements in 2010-11, with at least 72 people departing as it seeks to shave more than 1m from management costs.

Up to 60 people are likely to go in North Yorkshire and around 45 each in Bradford and Leeds.

NHS Wakefield is the only trust to make compulsory redundancies by axeing 10 positions, with 12 further voluntary departures.

Some organisations are managing cuts through natural turnover, ending temporary contracts and making other savings on consultancy and agency staff, among them NHS Sheffield, NHS Kirklees and the regional health authority.

The full scale of job reductions remains unclear but early figures suggest well in excess of 1,000 positions will go in the 12 months to March in the region.

The national officer for Yorkshire at Managers in Partnership, Jane Carter, representing senior health executives, said it recognised that savings were needed.

She added: "We are happy to work with employers to find ways of improving productivity while maintaining and improving quality. But what we are seeing now is PCTs making unilateral decisions about merging management teams without proper consultation and without evidence that it will improve efficiency.

"In our opinion these cuts are very short-sighted. In making these experienced managers redundant, they are in danger of losing the skills, expertise and organisational memory which will be essential to make a success of the move to GP commissioning."

The director of the PCT Network, David Stout, said: "If PCTs have the same responsibilities with 30, 40 or 50 per cent less staff, you need to look at reducing the management burden.

"I think there is a recognition that as a result of management savings, you need to reduce what PCTs are expected to do or else they will struggle."

A Department of Health spokesman said: "It is absolutely untrue to say PCTs are in meltdown.

"It makes sense that some PCTs are working either formally or informally through shared management arrangements. This will ensure they continue to fulfil their legal duties and responsibilities."

CALL FOR HOSPITAL DEATH RATE PROBE

AN investigation should be carried out into death rates at hospitals in east Yorkshire according to researchers for the influential Dr Foster Hospital Guide who have raised concerns over standards at two NHS trusts in the region.

The 2010 Dr Foster Hospital Guide said death rates were higher than expected at Hull and East Riding NHS Trust during 2009-10.