Trust under fire over job cuts

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An MP has tabled a question to the health secretary about planned cuts of a third of a health trust's workforce.

Scarborough and North East Yorkshire NHS Trust intends to axe 600 jobs to save £10m, but said it will emerge as a "stronger local service for patients".

Chief executive Ian McInnes said the cuts would not hit the A&E department.

Robert Goodwill, Conservative MP for Scarborough and Whitby, who has tabled a parliamentary question on the cuts, described them as "very worrying".

He said: "This is unprecedented. We've never seen cuts on this scale before. I hope my question will be debated on Tuesday."

'Essential services'

The Conservative MP for East Yorkshire, Greg Knight, said he had not been told in advance about the job losses.

He said he was shocked to learn the news and angry with the way the planned redundancies were revealed.

John Blackie, chairman of North Yorkshire's Scrutiny of Health Committee, said there was a huge local level of concern over the cuts.

"If services that were considered essential in the past are now to be cut, how can they suddenly become non-essential?"

Unison's Ray Gray said: "Job losses on this scale are completely unsustainable.

If services that were considered essential in the past are now to be cut, how can they suddenly become non-essential? John Blackie, Health Scrutiny Committee

"How the trust has ended up in this dire situation is a matter of grave concern and we are seeking urgent talks with the Secretary of State for Health to find a way of saving the jobs and the health service in the Scarborough district."

The trust's finance director, Sandy Hogg, said: "We are faced with the changing delivery of healthcare: this sees patients stay in hospital for shorter periods, with more care provided in the community, or as day cases, or by independent providers, or by GPs.

"At the other end of the scale, some care can only be provided by specialist, 'tertiary' centres, covering large populations.

"These combined factors mean that we will need fewer beds on fewer wards, and we have to re-consider how we can best provide services to meet modern standards, expectations and needs, whilst making sure that we learn to live within our income."

Mr McInnes added that by 2010 the trust would still be the largest employer in the area, with an income of £100m and employing more than 1500 staff.

The trust was established in 1992 and covers one of the largest geographical areas in England.