 The trust was the first of many in England to announce job cuts |
Prime Minster Tony Blair has met the chief executive of a Staffordshire hospital trust that has announced 1,000 job cuts. It comes after The University Hospital of North Staffordshire Trust revealed it has a �15m deficit.
Mr Blair and Health Secretary Patricia Hewitt joined Antony Sumara and bosses from across England on Wednesday.
They include health chiefs from Shropshire, Staffordshire, Birmingham and the Black Country.
Executives from the Staffordshire trust, Shropshire & Staffordshire Strategic Health Authority (SHA), Birmingham & Black Country SHA and Shrewsbury & Telford Hospital NHS Trust travelled to Downing Street for the meeting.
'Let down'
Mr Sumara said the trust had been the "first domino" for the media when talking about job cuts.
He said staff had felt "very angry" and "bereaved" by the position of the trust but now felt "part of the solution".
"I think the staff feel quite let down by leadership and I think it's important you tell them it's not their fault," he said.
David Nicholson, from West Midlands Strategic Health Authority, said the reforms were biting, but were working.
He said: "That is part of the pain of going through the change."
Hospital budget deficits have become an increasingly difficult issue for Mr Blair with a string of trusts in England announcing job cuts in recent weeks.
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