Redundancy fears at NHS

NORTH EAST NHS BOARD TO BEGIN CONSULTATION

- By SAM VOLPE Reporter [e-mail]

NHS bosses in the North East are set to begin a voluntary redundancy scheme as part of huge changes which will see head counts drop dramatically.

This comes after the Government confirmed a deal with NHS England that will see Integrated Care Boards (ICB) able to use funds from next year's budgets to cover the costs of making staff redundant.

Earlier in the year, ICBs including the North East and North Cumbria organisation said they would not move forward with plans until funding arrangements were made clear. The organisations have been asked to make dramatic savings as part of a move to a "focus on strategic commissioning".

This comes as the Government seeks to, reverse a "doubling in the size of the centre" that has seen the number of people employed in bureacratic roles in the NHS rise since a 2012 re-organisation of the service led by the then government.

Last week, Health Secretary Wes Streeting told the NHS Providers' organisation that the government was "slashing bureacracy" in order to divert cash towards frontline care.