The acting chief executive of Oxford Radcliffe Hospitals trust has said service changes must be delivered to save money.

Finance director Chris Hurst has temporarily taken over as chief executive from Trevor Campbell Davis, whose resignation was announced last month. Mr Hurst is leaving in October to take over as NHS Wales finance director.

He said the trust had been making efficiency savings of about 6 per cent for several years, but the impact of expected investment cuts would mean service changes were needed.

Last year the Independent Reconfiguration Panel rejected the trust’s plans for centralising paediatric and maternity services. Since then NHS Oxfordshire’s Better Healthcare Programme has been developing new plans.

“Five or six per cent is probably the limit of normal productivity and efficiency savings. We must take a fresh look and that needs to happen across the organisation. I think there is now a realisation and an appetite to look at those things.”

The trust, other providers and NHS Oxfordshire were looking at what changes could be made, he said.

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