Cornwall hospital trust 'to cut equivalent of 400 jobs'

The Royal Cornwall Hospitals Trust has an annual budget of £290m

The work equivalent of more than 400 jobs is to be cut at the Royal Cornwall Hospitals Trust to help fill black holes in finances, health bosses say.

Its 5,000 staff have been told by the trust's board that operating costs have to be cut by £26m in the next financial year and also achieve savings of £19m.

Unions have been told that front-line clinical posts would not be affected, and cuts would be from "back offices".

The trust has an annual budget of £290m.

Closing wards

Trust chief executive Peter Colclough said: "We have around 11% turnover, so 500 people leave the trust a year.

"What we're going to look to do is maximise the opportunities to fill those vacancies internally.

"Staff now in areas where there are going to be cuts will be given the first option of any jobs that are vacant."

However, the trust added that it could not rule out compulsory redundancies.

Wards are also be closed and staff redeployed to other wards. Polgooth medical ward at Truro's Royal Cornwall Hospital will shut on Friday.

Health unions said the hospital was already short-staffed and closures would only add to the pressure.

Health watchdogs said they also had concerns.

Graham Webster, of Health Initiative Cornwall, said: "They are going to be cutting wards and beds, so the reality is that clinical services are going to be cut."