Hundreds of NHS support roles are set to be axed at Addenbrooke’s Hospital in Cambridge as part of sweeping cuts announced by Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (CUH).
In total, up to 500 non-clinical posts could go, representing around 4% of the hospital’s 13,000-strong workforce.
The affected jobs span vital support areas including finance, communications and administration. While these are not frontline clinical roles, the reductions are expected to have a ripple effect on hospital operations.
Chief Executive Roland Sinker described the move as a response to national directives, with the Trust ordered to reduce the cost of support functions to April 2022 levels. “This represents approximately a 15% reduction in the budget available to fund roles that are not delivering direct clinical care,” he told staff.
Sinker acknowledged the impact this would have on morale, saying, “We know this will be a worrying time for many here at CUH and across the NHS.”
Redundancies to Be Minimised Where Possible
Despite the scale of the cuts, CUH insists it is working to soften the blow. A spokesperson said the Trust would aim to reduce actual redundancies to nearer 200 by leaving vacancies unfilled, avoiding backfilling roles, and offering voluntary resignation schemes.
CUH had already delivered over £53 million in savings last year and says these further cuts are part of a wider NHS strategy to reduce bureaucracy and duplication—an initiative recently backed by Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer’s announcement to abolish NHS England.
Addenbrooke’s, known globally for its medical research and teaching, now finds itself at the centre of a financial storm. The Department of Health and Social Care has yet to comment on the development.
For many in Cambridge and the wider region, the news raises pressing questions about how such deep reductions in support services will affect patient care and hospital efficiency in the months to come.
