Hospital's work to be sent abroad

300 jobs are being shed at the hospital

A struggling Black Country hospital which announced 300 job cuts last month is sending its administration work to India to save £2.5m a year.

Wolverhampton's New Cross Hospital will send details by e-mail in a two-month trial it hopes will provide a way to cut its annual medical secretary bill.

The move will start in May and see voice recordings from doctors sent over the internet to typists.

Its chief executive admitted he had some concerns but it had to be tested.

A spokesman for the hospital said if it is successful the savings would be made gradually by sending work abroad when secretaries move into other positions or leave the hospital.

Chief executive David Loughton said: "I have some concerns as to whether it will work or not but we have to look at it.

"It is part of trying to cut back on unnecessary waste.

"We spend £5m a year on the medical secretaries and our auditors have told us we can halve this by sending work overseas.

"We would still have personal assistants working to organise diaries but we will remove the copy typing."