The North Bristol NHS Trust, responsible for Southmead Hospital in Bristol, has announced its plan to slash 211 jobs in a bid to achieve savings of £40 million by 2025/26. This move comes as part of the NHS’s broader efforts to make significant cost reductions driven by government cuts and financial constraints.
Sister trust, University Hospitals Bristol and Weston NHS Trust, is also facing the need to trim its workforce by at least 300 employees, with a focus on not replacing vacancies when staff members depart. Both trusts are striving to avoid compulsory redundancies during this cost-saving initiative.
The financial challenges are echoed in a report presented to a joint board meeting of the newly formed Bristol NHS Group, comprising the two healthcare organizations. The University Hospitals Bristol and Weston NHS Trust is tasked with achieving £53 million in savings in the upcoming financial year. The report highlighted the similarity in cost reduction targets imposed by NHS England, with both trusts required to slash five percent of their turnover.
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The report also outlined a 30 percent reduction in agency staff spending and an overall two percent decrease in the workforce at North Bristol NHS Trust. The NHS’s objective is to reign in staffing levels to pre-pandemic figures, reflecting the organization’s mandate to operate within its means and prioritize resources for clinical services.
Alert to the potential for significant organizational change and the need for difficult decisions, the report emphasized the importance of reducing workforce costs and improving productivity. While acknowledging the risk of redundancies, the board assured that efforts would be made to avoid job losses, with a focus on redeployment and collaboration with partner organizations.
Despite the workforce reductions, the report highlighted areas where staffing levels would rise, including the anticipated increase in staff for the upcoming £50 million elective surgical center at Southmead Hospital, a development set to accommodate an additional 6,500 operations annually across the region.
NBT hospital managing director, Glyn Howells, emphasized the trust’s commitment to delivering high-quality care while fulfilling its financial responsibilities. He detailed the trust’s strategy to achieve savings through a combination of not backfilling vacant non-clinical roles, reducing spending on temporary and agency staffing, and recruiting to essential clinical and patient-facing positions.
In addressing the challenges ahead, the joint trust chair underscored the significance of delivering financially viable plans without compromising safety and service quality. While acknowledging the daunting task of implementing a five percent cost improvement program for both trusts, the focus remains on ensuring the safety and well-being of the community served.
The job cuts have been incorporated into the trusts' operating plans for 2025/26, as submitted to NHS England.