Hundreds of Norfolk NHS staff face redundancy

Hundreds of doctors and nurses look certain to be made redundant at Norfolk's biggest hospital, it emerged last night. And other hospitals in the region look likely to follow suit.

The Eastern Daily Press reports that two Norfolk MPs - Labour's Ian Gibson and Lib Dem MP Norman Lamb - have called for a countywide delegation to lobby for extra funding as the Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital strives to meet a £22m shortfall.

It comes amid fears that at least 700 jobs could be cut at the N&N, which employs 5700. Both MPs warned that as depleted numbers of staff struggle to cope with their workload, more services face being diverted to the private sector, undermining the Norfolk health economy.

N&N chief executive Paul Forden refused to confirm the number under threat, simply saying it would be "substantial". But he confirmed a review was being carried out as a matter of urgency and anannouncement was due in weeks.

"It is true that a significant number of those jobs will be among nurses and doctors", he added.

Nearly 200 vacant posts at the West Suffolk Hospital have been frozen and the James Paget Hospital, Gorleston, will announce the expected impact of its funding shortfall within weeks.

At the Queen Elizabeth Hospital, King's Lynn, there are no job cuts planned at present but managers have not ruled out the possibility in the long-term.

A QEH spokesman said: "We have a deficit of £10.75m and we now need to findfurther savings of £14.5m. It seems inevitable that our already robust financial management will need to be further stepped up."

Nationally 1,000 jobs have already been cut in Staffordshire and the total number of losses in England has been forecast to top 15,000.

The N&N has embarked on an efficiency drive as it expects this year's settlement to be an increase of just 1.5pc on last year's £278m - less than the rate of inflation and at a time of rising public sector costs.

Mr Forden said: "With a £22m shortfall to meet, it is self-evident that a substantial number of jobs will go. How many and from what areas remains to be seen.

"People often forget that, although they directly receive care from front line staff, they rely on clerical and administrative staff to book them in and ensure it runs smoothly. We have to recognise this and achieve a balance."

Dr Gibson said he feared that "no job was secure" at the N&N. "At least 700 jobs could go; it could be a catastrophe. We need to tackle this debt situation immediately," he said.

"If the hospital runs out of money, it could close. This financial situation could lead to the downfall of the N&N. Patients in Norfolk are seriously going to suffer."

Dr Gibson and Mr Lamb have written to health secretary Patricia Hewitt requesting she meet an all-party delegation from Norfolk to discuss the issue. Referring to the N&N, it reads: "The hospital trust had expected to have to make cost savings of some £5m next year."

Instead, two weeks before the new financial year, they were informed that the settlement for the forthcoming year was much worse than they had expected, leaving a shortfall of something in the region of £20m.

"We are aware that the trust has managed to achieve financial break-even every year despite significant cost pressures. We believe, therefore, that this is a well run trust."

Mr Lamb said he was hopeful the government could be persuaded to improve its settlement.

"We have to be optimistic because the alternative is simply untenable," he said. "You cannot cut this many jobs without patients suffering - there simply aren't that many backroom jobs to be cut."

Under such conditions hospitals will find themselves marginalised with more work diverted to the public sector. If those circumstances continue I have no doubt whatsoever that we will see hospital closures in East Anglia in the next few years."

Harry Seddon, from public sector union Unison, said: "We have a well managed hospital that only managed to break even last year through the sheer hard work of staff, but it is going to impact across all services to save £22 million."

Andrew Stronach, spokesman for the N&N, said it was unlikely that the N&N would face the threat of closure.

"The trust has balanced its books every single year since 1994 so to say it would have to close is a rather extreme," he said. "However, we do have grave concerns for the next financial year."

MPs Ian Gibson & Norman Lamb may well be planning to lobby for extra funding to solve this cash crisis at their local hospital. As Mr Lamb says, if the cuts go ahead it's going to lead to "patients suffering".

But will these MPs also be giving Blair's increased handout to Brussels of £6 billion a year the nod when it comes before Parliament later this year?

The £22 million shortfall at stake in Norfolk would be wiped out in a little more than a day if they vote against that. Easy solution.

Which would their constituents prefer the money was spent on?