Eighty jobs set to go at hospital

More than 80 jobs are to go by the end of the year under plans by a West Midlands hospital.

Walsall's Manor Hospital said it has "benchmarked" staffing levels with similar-size hospitals and identified areas where figures "appear high".

It said it is hoped losses will be achieved through natural wastage but cannot rule out compulsory redundancy.

The hospital dismissed a report claiming more than 400 jobs will go over the next three years.

'Closer together'

Chief executive Sue James said: "We'll be looking to change the sorts of jobs we've got, so for example, we'll be losing posts on inpatient wards, but creating new posts on day case wards.

"We will need to change the way of working, particularly as we move into our brand new facilities, which have far more day care facilities and the services are actually closer together.

"So it makes the whole thing a much more efficient hospital to run and over that time we do expect the number of posts that we need to reduce.

"We want to reduce the length of stay... and if we reduce beds, then clearly we'll need to reduce staff as well."

The hospital said it has put in place a staff redeployment strategy which involves retraining opportunities.