Trust warns of £15m hospital debt

Swansea NHS Trust says it faces going £15.5m into the red unless it closes 86 beds and cuts around 750 jobs.

But health officials say the efficiency programme will mean it will still treat the same number of patients by cutting down the time they spend in hospital.

BMA - British Medical Association and Amicus say the move is needed to safeguard services and patient care but UNISON said it was "unacceptable".

The union has called a mass meeting of its members on Tuesday afternoon.

It has called for a halt to the bed closure programme claiming it was being driven by "financial cut-backs and not any planned improvements in health care".

The trust, which currently employs 9,500 staff and manages health services across the city including Morriston and Singleton Hospitals, claims it could be £15.5m in debt by the end of this financial year.