FIFTY two staff at NHS East Lancashire have been classed as “at risk” of losing their jobs, a new report has revealed.

The Trust, which provides health services for 386,000 people in Burnley, Hyndburn, Pendle, Ribble Valley and Rossendale, has already shed a quarter of its staff — 146 jobs — in a year after reconfiguration the organisation.

Many of the jobs are understood to have been transferred to other service providers.

The move comes after Department of Health guidelines were changed so PCTs focused more on commissioning services rather than providing them themselves.

Of the 52 people on the ‘at risk’ list, contained in the Commissioning Organisation Reconfiguration update, 28 are currently employed in community health services, 15 in performance, information and development directorate, six in the clinical directorate, and three in the HR, workforce and OD Directorate.

Fourteen notices of compulsory redundancy have been issued, with the earliest terminations due to take place on October 31, with the last due date being December 7.

The report to the board said: “There are currently 52 people classed as at risk in the PCT.

Of these 24 are commissioning staff, 28 are provider staff.

“At present, the 28 provider staff are not likely to have redundancy notices issued.

“However, this will be reviewed once there is clarity over the final arrangements of community services in East Lancashire.

The report concludes: “The process of reconfiguring the commissioning organisation is now complete, and was completed within the original timetable set out at the start of the process.

“The commissioning organisation currently employs 415.9 full-time equivalent staff, down from 561.82 in September 2009.

The report will go before the board of directors today.