NO frontline staff or services will be cut when Whipps Cross University Hospital merges with two other health trusts, it is claimed.
The Leytonstone hospital will join with Barts & The London Trust and Newham NHS Trust on April 1 after the merger was approved by the government last week.
Mark Graver, assistant director of communications for Whipps Cross, said: "Clearly by bringing together the three trusts we will have some duplication in corporate areas such as HR and finance and this will need to be addressed. There will be no impact on frontline services or staff."
Patient groups welcomed the move as they now hope Whipps Cross can achieve foundation status and deal with its long-term, crippling debt.
Chair of the Whipps Cross Patient Panel, Colin Anderson, said: "We’re delighted it’s going ahead. Debts will be cleared and the hospital should start on an even keel for the future.
"Patients are going to be at the heart of the new organisation."
Mr Anderson added that he believes the merger will ensure better quality services as the hospitals share staff and resources.
Waltham Forest LINk co-ordinator Adessa Mbaye said: "There will be improvements in areas of service that aren’t at an acceptable level as a result of sharing other hospitals’ expertise."
But Keep Our NHS Public campaigner Jim Fagan believes the merger would not help Whipps tackle its debt.
He said: "It’s a threat to patient care because the new trust still has to pay £1 million (in debt repayments) a year no matter what happens.
"That means it could well cut services at Whipps to meet the payments and so then how can it compete with private companies?"
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