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NHS savings may affect couples
Couples waiting for IVF fertility treatment and patients hoping for sex-change surgery could be the victims of multi-million pound NHS cuts.
But Wigan health chiefs have sought to reassure patients that no job cut targets have been set.
It was revealed this week that trusts across Greater Manchester have been ordered to slash spending plans for the NHS by a massive 950m.
The need for savings is expected to affect "every aspect of health care", bringing job cuts and changes to services.
It is understood that savings could be made through cuts in lifestyle services such as IVF, weight loss surgery and gender reassignment.
The "efficiency savings", outlined in Greater Manchester's Primary Care Trust board papers begin in April and must be made by 2014.
Bosses have been told to begin with a 30 per cent cut in management – prompting some PCTs to merge human resources, finance and other "backroom" services with neighbouring health trusts.
Ironically, Ashton, Leigh and Wigan PCT's own chief executive, Peter Rowe, has been enlisted by the Government to identify areas where savings can be made across the country.
Regional health bosses have told Greater Manchester's 10 primary care trusts – the organisations which fund all health care in their area – that they must save almost 1bn over the next four years.
But the Wigan PCT issued a statement today which was resolutely upbeat, and suggested that much of the savings could be made relatively painlessly by good housekeeping.
A spokesman said: "We have no definite picture of what will happen when the current three-year comprehensive spending review ends in March 2011. We are confident there will be no reduction in the NHS budget."
Full statement in today's (Friday) Wigan Evening Post ...
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Weather for Wigan
Saturday 26 May 2012
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Temperature: 10 C to 23 C
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