Half of health board staff to go in 'devastating'cuts

Four hundred people who work in non-clinical roles across two major NHS bodies in Gloucestershire, Bristol, and part of Somerset are expected to lose their jobs in a major spending cut ordered by the government.

- John Wimperis Local democracy reporter [e-mail]

Integrated care boards have been given two months by NHS England to draw up a plan to cut their running costs by 50 per cent.

The boards, known as ICBs, replaced clinical commissioning groups in 2022 and are responsible for understanding the population needs in their area and planning and commissioning the NHS services required.

The Bristol, North Somerset, and South Gloucestershire ICB (BNSSG) commissions £3.2 billion of NHS spending. It has not been told to cut this funding, but to cut the £33m running costs of the ICB as an organisation.

Chief executive of the BNSSG ICB Shaun Devlin said: "Why would we shave money off the £33m if it's going to have a detrimental impact on £3.2bn of services? So we have to try and find that balance."

He said: "We have to take a pragmatic approach to this.