While noting Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly has been among few integrated care systems to achieve financial balance in the last two years, the trust said the cuts were needed deliver savings of £49.3m in 2025-26, as part of a £110m system cost improvement programme.
A trust spokesperson said: ‘We are consulting with our staff on changes to our clinical administration services. The proposals aim to offer better structured and more rewarding roles, improved career pathways and importantly to free up time for clinicians and ensure our patients benefit from a consistently high level of administrative support throughout their care pathways.
‘Many of our clinical administration teams and those they support have expressed frustration with current systems and duplication in their work, and inconsistency in the way we provide support in different parts of our organisation. The go-live next year of our electronic patient record, along with rapidly advancing technology in many areas, gives us an exciting opportunity to look very differently at our clinical administration services and roles.
‘The proposals are a significant change to the way we work, and we recognise for many it is an anxious time. We are encouraging everyone to share their views and ideas throughout the consultation period, so that we can shape the final proposals together. Our priority will be to find opportunities through vacancies across RCHT and our NHS partners, to retain skilled and experienced colleagues wherever possible.
‘We are supporting colleagues throughout the consultation period, offering many ways to provide feedback and influence the final proposals, as well as providing practical and emotional support through face-to-face service, online programmes and our staff networks.'
Stephen Timms, Unison Cornwall Acute Health branch secretary, said: ‘These plans are deeply worrying for both staff and patients. Cutting a quarter of all administrative roles could have serious consequences for patient safety and care.
‘The trust's own risk assessment acknowledges that referrals could be missed and that follow-up care may suffer. Services are already under huge strain, this proposal feels rushed and short-sighted.
‘Healthcare in Cornwall faces unique pressures, an ageing local population, intense winter demand and a surge in visitors over the summer. Cornwall's health system needs additional investment, not fewer staff.
‘The trust says it will try to redeploy affected workers, but with a recruitment freeze in place and no vacancies across local NHS or council services, it's hard to see how that's possible. Staff are anxious about their futures, and rightly so.
‘Unison will continue to challenge these plans and call for a rethink. the Trust must work with unions to find a safer, fairer way forward that protects jobs and maintains the quality of care patients deserve.'
