Epsom and St Helier NHS savings proposals 'savage'

The trust wants to save £18.7m by March 2012 but would still be left with a £19.3m deficit

Campaigners have criticised plans by an NHS trust that could see the loss of 115 posts including doctors.

Epsom and St Helier, which has hospitals in Surrey and London, has started a 90-day consultation with staff about the proposals.

Geoff Martin, who chairs the pressure group London Health Emergency, described the measures as "savage".

The trust, which is looking to save millions of pounds, has said it believes it can work more efficiently.

Clinical posts

Mr Martin said: "These are just the latest savage cuts at Epsom and St Helier and we expect far worse to come."

The trust said it wanted to save £18.7m by March 2012 but it would still be left with a £19.3m deficit at the end of the financial year.

Clinical posts affected were 26 doctors, which the trust said represented 4% of the medical workforce.

The trust owns and runs Epsom Hospital in Epsom, Surrey, and three hospitals in London: St Helier Hospital, Queen Mary's Hospital for Children, and Sutton Hospital.