NHS job losses

The NHS is set to lose over 50,000 jobs over the next five years, despite government promises to ring-fence the service.

The figures are revealed by newly launched anti-cuts website False Economy, which is backed by the TUC. The information was collected under the Freedom of Information Act.

The website found that across the country the NHS would be cutting 53,150 posts - with mental health trusts facing particularly high cut-backs.

Most of the job losses will be accommodated through natural wastage, but some individual trusts face losing 20% of their staff, according to False Economy.

The Department of Health dismissed the numbers as inaccurate.