Belfast Nursing Posts May Be Lost

A confidential report - the details of which have just been 'leaked' - is highlighting the possible loss of as many as 3,000 health service jobs in the Belfast area.

Numbers of nurses would be worst hit by the alleged cost-cutting proposals that are expected to be implemented over the next three years in the Belfast Trust area.

Brian Campfield of health union, Nipsa, said 2,700 to 3,000 could be affected by the radical plans.

However, the Trust said it was "not planning to close or cut services" but looking at ways of doing things better.

This is despite the Irish News reporting that "unprecedented" financial targets had to be met as part of government-led savings, with £130m to be cut from the trust's budget by 2011.

Referring to the leaked document, the Belfast newspaper said that job cuts would be achieved through early retirement and voluntary redundancy packages but, in some cases, employees who persistently miss work should also be targeted.

Speaking on the BBC this morning, Mr Campfield said while he had not seen any leaked reports, he was aware that union representatives had been consulting about cutbacks with the Belfast Trust.

"The cutbacks arise from a number of sources, from the Comprehensive Spending Review, from the efficiency savings within that, and also from the deficit that the legacy trust carried over into the new Belfast Trust," he said.

"There are a range of factors coming together which have created a very difficult financial situation.

"The reality is that if we are talking about 3,000 less workers within the Belfast trust, then that is inevitably going to have a major impact upon the services that's delivered. I have no idea how the trust, or any other trust could make those sort of cutbacks and still maintain the level of service."

In response, a statement from the Belfast Trust said all trusts in Northern Ireland had been asked to meet 3% efficiency savings target, set for the whole of the public sector.

This would cover the next three years and has been agreed by the assembly: "Media coverage of how trusts set about achieving these types of targets can often over simplify the issues - presenting them as cuts, closures or job losses," it said.

"We are not planning to close or cut services, but we are looking at better ways of doing things better. As part of that process we are discussing a range of options are taking a number of suggestions from front line staff."

(BMcC)