Hospital staff told to empty bins

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A hospital trust is asking office staff to empty their own bins as part of a bid to save £20m in the next two years.

Epsom and St Helier NHS Trust said clinical areas and office toilets and kitchens would continue to be cleaned as normal.

Geoff Martin, from campaign group Health Emergency said the measures were "panic cuts" and there needed to be an infection control risk assessment.

It is hoped the scheme will save between £80,000 and £145,000 per year.

'Lighter meals'

Mr Martin said: "We have no doubt that these penny-pinching measures would compromise infection control and would act as a breeding ground for superbugs at a hospital trust that has a long history of problems with MRSA."

A spokesman for the trust said: "These changes would not affect the trust's ongoing work to combat infections that has seen our MRSA infection rate halved over the past year.

"These are not panicked cuts. They are easily implemented money saving initiatives."

A set of "quick-win" plans would allow the trust to make immediate savings of more than £340,000 per year, the trust said.

They include offering patients lighter meals such as soup, wraps, bagels and sandwiches.

The trust spokesman said dieticians would review all new meal options to ensure they were nutritionally sound.

'Severe implications'

Contracts with water cooler companies have been cancelled to save the trust £25,000 per year.

"All buildings within the trust have drinking water outlets and most are located within a kitchen," the spokesman said.

Mr Martin said the cost cutting measures were "driven by accountants" and would have severe implications for nutritional standards.

Nick Gorvett, who is overseeing the recovery plan, said: "The quick-win initiatives are only one aspect of the recovery plan and more detailed work is being carried out, looking at how we can improve the way we work and achieve savings."

He said the measures were about working more efficiently and not cutting services.

Epsom and St Helier Trust is not currently in debt but needs to make £20m of savings over the next two years to keep a balance.