50,000 UK hospital staff to lose jobs

A new survey has revealed that more than 50,000 doctors, nurses, midwives and other staff with the UK's National Health Service (NHS) will lose their jobs.

Officials confirmed that 53,150 posts would be slashed across 155 hospital trusts, 126 primary care trusts, 23 ambulance trusts and 54 mental health trusts in England, as well as 15 Scottish trusts, nine Welsh trusts and six trusts in Northern Ireland, according to the most comprehensive survey of health cuts released as part of Freedom of Information requests.

Almost every trust in the UK admitted that they planned to dismiss staff over the next four years, with some losing up to one in five employees, according to the study.

The Trade Union Congress (TUC) has submitted the requests as part of its False Economy campaign against public spending cuts, which is launched today, the Daily Telegraph reported.

East Lancashire Hospitals NHS Trust said it expected to shed 1,013 full time employees between 2010 and 2015, including almost 50 doctors and dental staff, and 270 nurses, midwives and health visitors.

“The majority of the reduction is likely to be in non-clinical posts as we seek to protect front line services where possible”, said a spokesman for the trust.

The Wirral University Teaching Hospital NHS Foundation Trust was said to be cutting 682 posts between 2010 and 2013.

And the University Hospital of North Staffordshire NHS Trust was reported to be forecasting a reduction of 1,349 full-time posts by 2015 - 22.5 percent of its staff.

The British Medical Association last night warned that patient care would inevitably suffer, while the NHS Confederation - which represents health service managers - also confirmed that front line services would be affected, with job losses “inevitable”.