5,000 jobs at risk as NHS commercial work collapses

In an impact statement sent to the Department of Health and Social Care, the representative body UK Research & Development referred to an 80 per cent decrease in NHS commercial research activity in April, compared to the average activity levels seen over the last three years.

It states that should activity levels stagnate at the same rate seen in April, the NHS could lose £447m, which would equate to around 5,000 jobs. A 50 per cent reduction for rest of the year would equate to around £276m.

The team that compiled the report included officials from several major trusts including Guys’ and St Thomas’ and Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals, but it took responses from around 50 NHS organisations of which 90 per cent reported “major financial risks”.