Staff numbers are to be cut at Airedale General Hospital to plug a predicted £11 million hole in its finances.

About 80 jobs from the 3,000 employed by Airedale NHS Foundation Trust are expected to be shed, a union spokesman revealed last night.

Workers at the Steeton hospital have until May 6 to register for voluntary redundancy following which compulsory job losses could be introduced.

But hospital bosses have pledged to avoid shedding workers who are involved in face-to-face patient care.

It has emerged that management and staff have already jointly agreed to a “workforce reduction programme”.

Politicians are seeking urgent talks with hospital chiefs, with one MP describing it as a “terrible” situation for those who face losing their jobs.

Natalie Ratcliffe, area organiser for Unison, said: “We have been in intense negotiation with the foundation but we are not happy with the timescale – we think it’s too quick.”

She said the job losses would be predominantly clerical and administrative but she predicted some nurses could also go.

The news comes only weeks after the hospital’s main reception desk was closed on weekdays to save money.

Workers also staged a day of action outside the hospital against Government plans to reform the NHS a fortnight ago. Union bosses then voiced their fears of staff, saying they were very worried about their futures.

A foundation trust spokesman said: “The programme includes a voluntary redundancy scheme that is targeted at specific areas across the hospital, as well as other measures such as staff being able to apply to take additional unpaid annual leave, and is likely to take effect during this summer.

“The workforce reduction proposals are just part of a package of measures to enable the hospital to redesign how it delivers care and improve its future finances.”

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