The move will see 620 permanent roles and 165 temporary jobs lost, as the trust aims to cut full-time roles in mostly non-clinical areas.

The trust - which runs Southampton General, Princess Anne, and Royal South Hants hospitals - hopes a significant amount of the posts will be removed by not replacing staff when they leave.

David French, chief executive officer at UHS, said: ‘This move is designed to streamline how we work within our hospitals, and with other NHS service providers in the region, to better meet patient needs with the resources available to us.'

He added: ‘We are also working with NHS partners across Hampshire and the Isle of Wight to manage vacancies collectively, protect jobs and help keep talent within the NHS, whilst achieving the financial savings required.

‘These are challenging times for UHS and the wider NHS, but the measures we are taking are necessary to deliver what is expected of us.

'During this time, we will support our staff and ensure that the decisions we make are underpinned by our core purpose, which is to provide outstanding care for patients.'