50 jobs to go at Walsall Manor Hospital Trust in £10.5m cuts
The trust which runs Walsall Manor Hospital is to cut almost 50 posts as it plans to save £10.5 million this year, it has emerged.
Walsall Healthcare NHS Trust is looking to claw back cash through its cost improvement plan for 2015/16.
As part of its annual plan the equivalent of 48 roles are expected to be lost, although health bosses insist the overall number of staff will increase due to the agreed investment in nurses.
The trust set a savings target of £13m last year but is targeting £10.5m over the next 12 months. It has not been revealed at this stage where posts will be axed.
It comes as the hospital has been battling to bring its finances under control amid rising demand which has lead to expenditure on agency nurses. This will be cut during £3.5m plans to bring in more than 85 new permanent nurses.
The annual report states: "We are forecasting a reduction in posts of 48.19 whole time equivalent in order to deliver our cost improvement programme.
"We are investing in new posts to support the safer staffing initiative, our quality agenda and activity growth; the net change in the workforce forecast therefore is an overall increase of 11.33 for 2015/16.
It adds: "Investment within nursing and clinical support worker posts will substantively meet the required standards for ward staffing especially on medical wards and at night."
Overall the health trust expects to have more than 3,950 workers in place by next April.
It recently emerged the Manor is braced for a £17.7m black hole this year - a knock on effect from the problems it has faced this year.
There has been growing demand from patients and increased costs.
The Manor has a backlog of patients waiting for elective care and it is expected to grow during the next 12 months.
Emergency admissions have risen as the hospital struggles to reach the four hour A&E target of 95 per cent.
It has also found it difficult to hit targets for the number of patients transferred to the department from ambulances in 15 minutes.
It faced one of its busiest periods ever and was pushed to full capacity, with almost 100 extra patients a week between the end of December and early January.
The hospital was forced to declare a major incident at the height of its problems, with more bed space created and staff drafted in to deal with the sudden influx of patients.
