HOSPITAL bosses in York have admitted that £30 million must be cut from running costs over the next three years to avoid job losses.

The Press has seen a list of money-saving measures being implemented by York Hospitals Foundation Trust to deal with the funding crisis in the NHS.

The measures include:

• the doubling of car parking charges for staff from £1 per day to £2 for over five hours

• an immediate freeze on all management posts

• an end to all trust-funded hospitality

• the scrutiny of overtime for agency and locum staff.

One union spokesman described the measures as the “thin end of the wedge”, but the hospital trust’s chief executive, Patrick Crowley, said the cutbacks may be “unpalatable” but were necessary to “protect jobs and ultimately front-line services.”

He said: “The health service, like all of the public sector, is facing financial pressures, and it is clear that cost and demand increases on our services are surpassing growth in funding and are placing pressure on the trust that we must deal with.

“We have asked all of our staff to tell us their ideas for how money can be saved, and some of their suggestions have been introduced, including the increase of car parking charges for staff.

“Parking for staff onsite is heavily subsidised, and even with this increase the charge compares favourably with most forms of public transport and with other car parks in the city.

“The income from car parking goes back into the trust, and if this money was not raised through charges it would have to be found elsewhere, and that can only be from patient services.”

He described the savings as consistent with the rest of the NHS. “Taking action (including raising car parking charges for staff) will help us to protect jobs and ultimately the front-line services that we are able to provide,” said Mr Crowley.

A letter to The Press from “the nurses of York” reveals the “plight” of one staff member who works six hours per day – they say the staff member would see car parking costs more than treble from 60p per day to £2.

Karen Reay, national officer for health for the Unite union, said the trust should be looking to cut senior management rather than hit medical staff.

“Car parks have always been a way of making money,” she said. “I think this is the thin end of the wedge. It’s management costs that need to go, and not clinical management, it should be senior management.

“Before you start imposing more measures on staff I would ask if they have reviewed their management costs.

“They shouldn’t be barraging staff with costs.”