125 health staff gone already in job cuts

MORE than 120 staff have already left their positions as part of NHS Lothian job cuts.

The health board is four months into its drive to cut 31 million from its annual spend, and that includes losing 700 positions.

Director of finance Susan Goldsmith revealed 125 places have already been cut out, although they have come from "natural wastage" rather than redundancy.

She said: "We've already given up 125 positions and that hasn't yet been reflected in the financial figures. That is a positive development and a real reduction in our staff in post towards our target of 734 full-time equivalents."

The savings at health board level will not stop this year. A further 1300 jobs will have to go in 2011, taking the total number of employees down from 29,000 to nearer 27,000.