London Ambulance Service to cut 890 jobs
Almost 20% of service jobs to go, including 560 frontline positions, over next five years in effort to save £53m
- guardian.co.uk,
- Article history
London Ambulance Service job cuts will include 560 frontline positions, such as those of paramedics. Photograph: Linda Nylind for the Guardian
London Ambulance Service has announced plans to cut 890 jobs over the next five years in an effort to save £53m.
LAS said the reductions would include 560 frontline positions and most of the total losses would come from natural attrition.
The reduction represents almost 20% of the service's 5,000 staff and will fuel the controversy over the government's health reforms.
Union leaders attacked the move and one campaign group said it would mean "total carnage" for the capital's ambulance service.
The LAS chief executive, Peter Bradley, said: "Unfortunately we are not immune to the financial pressures facing the NHS. This means all areas of our business will face closer scrutiny as we look for ways to make savings while improving the care we give to patients.
"But with nearly 80% of our budget spent on staff costs it would be impossible to make the savings required without removing posts."
LAS said it expected to reduce the number of frontline posts – those responsible for direct patient care – by 560, with a further 330 posts removed from management and support services. Compulsory redundancies would be avoided wherever possible, it said.
"We are confident that the large majority of posts can be reduced by not filling vacancies. We have an average turnover rate of 7%," Bradley said.
"As part of our planned response we will be introducing a number of measures to control payroll costs, including tighter control of recruitment and reduced use of agency workers.
"We are committed to managing these reductions so that the impact on staff is minimised and at the same time creating an improved and efficient service for patients."
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