'Unpalatable options' for hospital to cut deficit

Bradford Royal Infirmary is one of the sites run by Bradford Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

Bradford's hospital trust faces "unpalatable options" in its efforts to save up to £39m, senior managers have been told.

The trust's board of directors met on 9 May to discuss an efficiency programme being developed, but the minutes of the meeting have not yet been made public.

Measures would include spending on agency staff being cut by almost 70% to help stem a total deficit of £54m, but a spokesperson for the trust said it faced the same challenges as all other local NHS providers.

The Department for Health said it was providing the NHS with "record funding".

A spokesperson for Bradford Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust said: “The full details of the efficiency programme have yet to be finalised and the organisation is continually reviewing all aspects of its operations and cost base to identify opportunities to maximise productivity and to safely reduce expenditure."