Leicester NHS trust discusses savings plan

NHS managers have discussed a number of options to try to halt the financial crisis at Leicester's hospitals at a public meeting.

The University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust has overspent by £8m, just four months into the financial year.

It needs to make savings of £158m over the next five years due to government spending cuts.

Options discussed including raising car park charges and making better use of operating theatres.

The assistant mayor of Leicester, Councillor Manjula Sood, who attended the meeting, said she did not know how the savings were going to be made.

"Once these changes are implemented, what is going to happen, especially in accident and emergency and maternity services?

"These rely heavily on locum staff and that's where demand is not going to stop; sometimes it increases."

'Hefty salaries'

Managers said they had faced rising costs because of a severe winter and surge in demand at A&E.

Too many beds were kept open and staffed and temporary staff were on premium rates of pay, they said.

Campaigner David Gorrod suggested executive staff earning more than £100,000 a year took a 10% pay cut.

"For those people earning hefty salaries, it would not be to much to expect them to concede a small percentage of their salary on a temporary basis."

Restrictions on the use of agency staff and an increase in parking charges are being considered.

The trust runs the Leicester Royal Infirmary, the Glenfield Hospital and Leicester General Hospital.