Job cuts at West Suffolk Hospital, in Bury St Edmunds, Newmarket Community Hospital and Ipswich Hospital confirmed by NHS Suffolk and North East Essex Integrated Care Board

Almost 200 permanent jobs are set to be cut at the trust which runs West Suffolk Hospital in Bury St Edmunds.

The cuts have been agreed by the NHS Suffolk and North East Essex Integrated Care Board (ICB), which said it needs to work within the budget it has been allocated.

East Suffolk and North Essex NHS Foundation Trust (ESNEFT), which runs Ipswich Hospital, will also be affected.

At West Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust (WSFT), which also runs Newmarket Community Hospital, there will be a reduction of 205 full-time equivalent (FTE) roles in the total workforce, which includes bank and agency staff.

This includes cuts to 179 FTE employees on permanent or fixed-term contracts and substantive staff.

Comparably, ESNEFT, which runs Ipswich and Colchester Hospital, will see a reduction of 263 FTE roles across the total workforce.

This includes a reduction of 50 FTE of staff in post - on permanent, fixed-term contracts and substantive staff.

An ICB spokesman said: “Last night the ICB board approved the NHS financial and workforce plan for Suffolk and north east Essex for 2025/26.

“This plan was created by the ICB and its local NHS partners.

“Its implementation will support the meeting of the majority of the national performance requirements within the budget we have been allocated.”

You can read what WSFT and ESNEFT have said here.