A DUDLEY MP is demanding action from the government to save jobs 400 jobs at Russells Hall Hospital.

The Trust which runs the hospital is planning to battle a budget black hole by cutting 400 non-clinical jobs but Dudley North MP Labour Ian Austin says ministers should plough more cash into their coffers.

The hospital employs around 4,200 people, including 481 doctors and 1,456, and is looking to cut £14m from its wage bill over the next two years.

Ian Austin said: “There’s no way the hospital can afford to lose one in ten staff – 200 in the next two months – without a real impact on the service patients receive.

“Instead of supporting staff the government has squandered £3 billion on reorganising the NHS. As a result local people are facing longer waits at A&E, cancelled operations at their highest level for decade and waits for vital tests and treatments are increasing too.”

Dudley Group NHS Foundation Trust announced it was planning to shed 400 jobs in November and is now entering the first phase of the process by looking applications for voluntary redundancies.

A spokesperson for the Trust said: “Depending on the savings made during the voluntary process, we will then seek further compulsory redundancies. “The Board has decided to seek the biggest staffing reduction amongst non-clinical staff as we continue to ensure we have appropriate levels of staff to keep services safe for our patients.

“Ward based and community nursing, and midwifery posts bands two, five and six are not be included in the process to remove posts and, therefore, the redundancy schemes will not apply to these posts.

“Our medical workforce is subject to a separate review looking at productivity and future planning.”

However concerns remain about the cuts, the Bishop of Dudley, Rt Rev Graham Usher, took to social media to voice his views.

He said on Twitter: “Staggered 400 jobs to go at Russell's Hall Hospital - but where? Strikes me that staff already hugely stretched. Can only effect patients.”

In December the Conservative Party pledged to spend an additional £2bn on frontline services in NHS England in 2015/16 and extra cash for GP services over the next four years.