Hundreds of jobs to go as hospital trust faces £57m shortfall
A hospital trust is carrying out a voluntary redundancy programme that will see 260 full time jobs go this year as it attempts to save £57m.
The Mid Yorkshire Teaching NHS Trust’s annual general meeting was told a similar number of voluntary redundancies will be needed next year as it tries to balance the books.
The trust, which runs hospitals in Wakefield, Pontefract and Dewsbury, had a £21.1m deficit at the end of the 2025/26 financial year.
Trust chief executive Brent Kilmurray told the annual general meeting in Dewsbury on September 10: “We have talked about £57m savings required this year and that really requires some significant shifts.
“One of the things I should acknowledge is we have just completed our second round of voluntary redundancies and that means we have said goodbye to a number of key colleagues over the last few months and we will see more go between now and the new year.”
The meeting was told 70 per cent of the trust's annual £800m income is allocated to wages and staff costs.
Mr Kilmurray added: “That plan requires us to deliver a 260 wholetime equivalent reduction in the current year and we know there will be a similar number for next year as well.”
The trust’s chief financial officer, Amy Whitaker, told the meeting the trust made £37.5m savings in the last financial year. and had a £21.1m deficit at the end of the year.
A Mid Yorkshire Teaching NHS Trust spokesperson said: “Delivering our financial improvement plan is one of our four key priorities.
“By using our resources in the most effective way, we will be in the best place to deliver better patient care.
“The voluntary redundancy scheme is one of the ways we are working towards meeting our savings target.
“We’ve worked hard to ensure colleagues have been well-informed when making a decision of whether to apply, and supported them as much as possible through the process.
“When assessing any application, our primary consideration is any potential impact on patient safety. That is at the heart of our decision whether to approve or reject applications.
“We’d like to acknowledge colleagues who have already left or are leaving us on voluntary redundancy. We thank them for the service they have given to the trust and the communities we serve, and we wish them well in the future.”