NHS Job cuts likely in Bristol as Covid funding ends and inflation adds pressure on budgets

There could be job cuts among NHS staff in Bristol with bosses blaming inflation and Covid funding coming to an end.

It is understood the process will not involve redundancies but staff members in fixed term posts will not have their contracts renewed.

During the pandemic the government provided extra funding to NHS organisations, including the Integrated Care Board (ICB) in Bristol, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire. The funding will end next month.

As well as the loss of Covid funding, inflation means the NHS must pay increased prices for goods and services, shrinking the amount the health service can actually get for its money.

Health bosses are now consulting affected workers at the ICB about a staffing restructure.

Shane Devlin, Chief Executive of the ICB, said compulsory redundancies could be avoided.

He said: “A lot of people are not affected by the structural change and a lot of people will remain in the same job.

"However, we do have a number of people who are affected by the change. They are all individually aware of that change. After March 8, we will then hopefully be able to start making these changes.

“Because part of our change has meant a considerable reduction in fixed term posts, and also because we have held a large number of vacancies, we have not gone out with a voluntary redundancies process.

"There will still be people affected, but we are hoping to avoid any form of compulsory redundancies.”

It is unclear how many roles will be affected. It will depend on consultations with staff at the ICB, and details should become clearer next month.

Last month, Mr Devlin warned in a message to staff that the ICB will soon “feel a little smaller”.

He said: “I do not expect our organisation’s staffing numbers to grow. There has been a reduction in our real-terms funding — this is due to the pay award and inflationary costs, which we now know are not going to be covered centrally. This means we need to find the money to cover this.

“The increase in funding that we have received over the past two years because of Covid is ceasing at the end of March.

"This means it is unlikely we are going to be able to renew fixed term contracts that have been funded by this money. Our ICB will soon start to feel a little smaller due to the reduction of fixed term posts.”

Credit: Alex Seabrook/ Local Democracy Reporter