Colchester Hospital, rated 'inadequate' by inspectors, is to lose 240 jobs

The hospital said the jobs to be axed were not expected to be clinical positions

About 240 posts are to be axed at a hospital rated "inadequate" by inspectors.

In an email sent to the 3,400 staff at Colchester Hospital, Chief Executive Dr Lucy Moore said the trust faced tough financial challenges.

In January, the hospital was rated "inadequate" by the Care Quality Commission.

Dr Moore said only non-clinical posts were expected to be lost and compulsory redundancies would be minimised.

Dr Lucy Moore said although compulsory redundancies could not be ruled out they would "be few in number"

"There will be a root and branch restructuring of the corporate side of the trust," the email read.

"However, by this time next year, the trust aims to have 240 fewer full-time equivalent posts than we do today.

"The trust cannot rule out compulsory redundancies but if there are any, they will be few in number.

"The majority of the reduction will be achieved by not recruiting to posts that are currently vacant, by restructuring our corporate services and by redeploying staff."

Tracey Lambert, senior regional officer for the eastern branch of Unison, said the job losses were likely to affect patient care.

"The specific details have not been shared with us," she said. "We need to sit down with them and talk about how can offset as many redundancies as possible."

She added the hospital was in a "very difficult position" financially and said the union would work with the trust.