About 200 staff at Southampton General are facing uncertainty

Southampton University Hospitals NHS Trust is bringing in the changes at the hospital in an effort to tackle a massive budget deficit.

Mark Hackett, chief executive of the trust, says the ward reorganisation will not adversely affect patient care.

Unison, which has about 2,000 members at the hospital, says the trust is cutting jobs to claw back the deficit.

It's quite clear that here we have about 100 patients who could be seen in other settings Mark Hackett

The trust says it needs to lose about 450 posts.

It has saved 150 by cancelling contracts with nursing agencies and temporary staff.

Another 100 staff will be moved elsewhere in the trust but 200 employees are facing uncertainty.

About 100 of those could be made redundant in an effort to deal with the �13m budget deficit.

Mr Hackett said: "What we have been doing is working very closely with social services and the primary care trust to look at how we can change the way that services work.

"It's quite clear that here we have about 100 patients who could be seen in other settings, closer to where they live and in more appropriate environments."