NHS trusts nationwide are reportedly preparing to slash 21,000 positions in a sweeping effort to balance budgets.
Unison said its study estimates at least 21,000 roles are due to be cut by 2028 in hospitals and other health facilities.
Efforts to meet the Government’s demand for trust budgets to break even from this year are driving workforce reductions across hospital, community and mental health services, the union said.
The cuts were revealed by trusts in response to freedom of information requests by Unison and are in addition to job losses at NHS England and integrated care boards announced last year, it warned.
The union said its research reveals trusts are planning cuts to roles including nurses and other clinical staff, as well as support post reductions through vacancy freezes, restructuring and reduced use of agency workers.
Unison’s head of health, Helga Pile said: ‘Cutting thousands of NHS jobs is the wrong answer when staff are already stretched to breaking point.
‘The public are all too aware how understaffing is a major problem, so they’ll be rightly alarmed when the situation’s getting worse.
‘Years of underfunding have left many trusts out of pocket and ministers’ financial reset is creating deep uncertainty about services and staff.
Unison said its study estimates at least 21,000 roles are due to be cut by 2028 in hospitals and other health facilities
‘Morale is through the floor as workers worry whether their jobs are at risk, amid soaring levels of stress and violence.
‘The NHS is being asked to transform how care is delivered, with more community services and technology, but none of this is possible without the staff to make it happen.’
A Department of Health and Social care spokesperson said: ‘Thanks to the extra £26 billion we have invested, the NHS has an extra 12,000 doctors, 16,000 nurses, and 8,000 mental health workers compared to July 2024.
‘We make no apology for reducing spend on agency staff, for which the NHS was previously paying huge sums to rip-off recruitment agencies.
‘It is only because of that focus on getting better value for money that we have been able to invest in more frontline staff, give staff above forecast inflation pay rises for two years in a row, and improve services for patients.’
