Hundreds of band five nursing, social worker and therapist posts could be cut in Nottinghamshire as part of the county’s sustainability and transformation plan.
An appendix published alongside the STP includes what is described as an indicative proposal to change the workforce skill mix over the next five years to reduce the pay bill by £12m.
This would be achieved through a 12 per cent reduction in “core” skills staff, which the plan identifies as band five nurses and similar roles. The plan also suggests a 24 per cent increase in staff working in community services and primary care.
A spokeswoman for the STP said the proposals were an illustration of the direction of travel and not a final plan. She said work was ongoing to develop the detailed plans and staff would be part of this process.
The appendix says the core skills group would have a net reduction of more than 640 posts, with the largest falls in urgent and planned care, which would drop by more than 400 posts. There would also be a drop of 116 mental health and learning disability posts but an increase of 38 in primary care.
Within the illustrative example there would also be a net reduction of foundation skills staff, typically bands 1-4 staff, which would drop by more than 200.
There would be growth in what the STP calls “enhanced” and “advanced” staff, which it defines as bands 6-7 staff and junior doctors and consultants, GPs and advanced nurse practitioners. Bands 6-7 posts would grow by 2 per cent and the other roles by 7 per cent, an increase of almost 300 posts.
Across all staff groups, the example suggests there would be a net reduction of 562 staff – 2.7 per cent. The appendix says the effect of the STP would result in a 10 per cent reduction in accident and emergency attendance and emergency admissions; a 12 per cent reduction in elective admissions and outpatient activity; and a 10 per cent rise in primary care and self-care activity.
Full story in The HSJ 29 November 2016