UP TO 200 health jobs are under threat in the biggest shake-up of North Staffordshire's NHS for a decade.

Private plans have been submitted by the area's two primary care trusts (PCTs) to transfer their community services.

It is understood the services will then be handed to the University Hospital of North Staffordshire and mental health trust Combined Healthcare – in a throwback to health provision in the 1990s.

Clerical and administrative staff and middle managers at the PCTs are in the firing line after the Government told health trusts to cut management costs by 30 per cent.

NHS Stoke-on-Trent, NHS North Staffordshire and Combined Healthcare employ about 5,000 staff. About one-in-10 work in management, administrative and clerical departments.

The Sentinel understands some workers have already been called to initial briefings over any changes. The PCTs' plans, which have been submitted to the West Midlands Strategic Health Authority (SHA), have not been made public.

One worker said: "We have no firm idea what is going on. Meetings have been held with managers, but it is still not very clear.

"We have been told the University Hospital will take on more roles."

PCTs currently play a dual role, buying services for North Staffordshire patients and running community services like cottage hospitals and community care.

But the Government wants to stop PCTs running community services, which would also bring down management costs.

One option is for the University Hospital of North Staffordshire to run community and rehabilitation hospitals at Bradwell, Cheadle, Leek and Longton and Burslem's Haywood.

Other community services could be taken over by Combined Healthcare, which ran them in the 1990s.

SHA official Sarah Dakin said: "All PCTs are identifying their proposed provision of services from April 2011.

"Depending on the proposals and the assessment, they will be given approval in principle. These would then be subject to formal consultation with staff."

An NHS Stoke-on-Trent spokesman said: "A range of partners and stakeholders, including our staff and GPs, have been engaged in developing the submission to NHS West Midlands."

Health campaigners today called on the PCTs to be more open.

North Staffordshire Healthwatch co-ordinator Ian Syme, pictured, said: "We need urgent clarification of the plans to avoid de-stabilising key staff."

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