Switching off lights and computers at night and making sure taps aren't dripping are among tips being given to health staff to help save money.

East Sussex Healthcare NHS Trust is battling to save £10 million by the end of March to help keep it on financial track.

Managers have already taken steps to reducing spending, which have included closing a ward at Eastbourne District General Hospital and cutting back on using expensive agency staff.

However staff were also asked to come up with their own suggestions, no matter how small, that could help out.

 


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Other ideas put forward have included cutting down on printing, keeping doors and windows closed while the heating and not to put general rubbish in clinical waste bags.

Workers are also being asked to use alternative technologies while holding meetings, such as video conferencing, so people don't have to travel between the trust's various sites.

In a message to staff, chief executive Darren Grayson said: “Lots of you have suggested that we should cut down on printing and we have begun a trust wide project to help with this.

“Other themes include reviewing our management and staffing costs, minimising unnecessary energy and electricity usage and streamlining some of our processes.

“Every suggestion is being discussed at a weekly review meeting and will be followed up.

“Whilst work continues with the clinical units to identify and deliver efficiency savings to recover our financial position this year it is evident from the savings suggestions that there are lots of ways in which we can reduce costs and save energy.

“These are just some small things which we can all do that together can make a big impact.”

The trust, which runs Eastbourne District General Hospital and Conquest Hospital in St Leonards and provides community services across East Sussex, is aiming to end the financial year with a deficit of just over £19 million.

However it has not been able to save as much as it had planned, partly because of higher than expected costs of appointing temporary staff and patients spending longer in hospital than they need to.