WORKFORCE: Heart of England Foundation Trust has approved 17 “mutually agreed resignations” as part of a drive to cut costs while avoiding compulsory lay-offs.

The trust’s chief executive Mark Newbold identified the trust’s underlying financial position as a cause of concern, with no “material change” during November 2012.

January board papers said: “The challenge of our underlying paybill and delivery of [its cost improvement plan] remains with little or no improvement made over the year so far, and during November and December a new initiative was implemented focused specifically on reducing pay costs.

Under a mutually agreed resignation scheme for non frontline staff 17 applications were approved, with a paybill saving of £465,000

“This will ensure that the trust currently does not immediately need to look at the option of a

widespread redundancy programme,” board papers said.