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Press release: NHS Employers comment on job losses in the NHS

24 Apr 2006

Redundancies are a last resort and NHS organisations are doing everything that they can to protect patients and staff according to NHS Employers, revealing the results of a snapshot survey of HR directors today. The results coincide with the first day of the national HR in the NHS conference in Birmingham.

The survey revealed that while some trusts, mainly those with the biggest financial deficits, are planning redundancies, many other NHS trusts will use alternative methods to reduce their spending on workforce - including freezing posts, redeploying staff to other roles or organisations, redesigning roles, and reducing or banning the use of agency and temporary staff. Many trusts remain uncertain about how many posts they will reduce.

NHS Employers director Steve Barnett said: "Organisations, even those faced with financial difficulties are doing everything they can to protect both staff and patients through the many competing pressures that they face."

Many trusts are currently looking at workforce numbers and how they can best use their staff but said the current financial situation in the NHS was only one factor. Other issues impacting on workforce numbers include:

* the reorganisation of the NHS that will see a reduction in the number of primary care trusts and strategic health authorities;
* the changes in NHS funding arrangements, such as the introduction of Payment by Results and the tariff
* the emergence of other new providers of NHS healthcare including from the voluntary and private sector;
* the Our Health, Our Care, Our Say white paper, which will lead to more care being provided outside of     hospitals
* the continued redesign of local services as a result of new ways of providing care;
* the implementation of new staff contracts including Agenda for Change and the consultant contract.

Steve Barnett said: "These changes will lead to improvements in patient care. However, there will inevitably be some upheaval while they are bedding down.

"What has really stood out from the responses is just how challenging workforce planning is at present and just how much effort is going into balancing workforce numbers and continuing to deliver a high quality service through financial and system change."

The survey showed that posts most affected by reductions were those in management, administration and clerical. This was from across the board including primary care trusts, acute and mental health trusts. Efforts are being made to protect clinical posts if possible, but where clinical posts are being lost, it is more often among nurses than doctors. Where any reductions in posts are being considered, local NHS organisations are working very closely with staff and staff organisations.

Mr Barnett said NHS Employers was doing everything it could to support organisations including giving advice and guidance on a range of issues including how to save money by using the free e-recruitment NHS Jobs service; sharing good practice examples from the NHS on how new contracts like Agenda for Change can be used to improve patient services; and supporting the development of new roles and new ways of working through projects led by NHS Employers' large scale workforce change team.

Notes for editors

* The survey was sent to over 600 HR directors in NHS organisations across England over three days in March. 190 responded
* The national three-day HR in the NHS conference is aimed at HR professionals working in the NHS and is organised by NHS Employers. It is running at the ICC in Birmingham from April 25 to April 27 2006.
* NHS Employers will be holding a press briefing on finance and productivity at the HR in the NHS conference on Wednesday, April 26 at 5pm.
* Information about NHS Employers is available at www.nhsemployers.org

Contact details

The press office provides a comprehensive service to keep journalists informed about the work of NHS Employers.

If you have a media enquiry, please contact the press office team:

• Gemma Jeffcoate
  0207 074 3308 or gemma.jeffcoate@nhsemployers.org

For outof hours media enquiries, please contact the duty press officer on 07880 500726.

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