HOSPITAL chiefs have announced a recruitment freeze and a stop on the use of agency staff as they battle to hit budget.

Other measures set to be introduced will see the closure of an elderly care ward at Gloucestershire Royal Hospital, although no redundancies are planned.

The Gloucestershire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust has written to all staff telling them what steps will be taken as they try to save £25million.

An immediate freeze on recruitment has been introduced, as well as a ban on the use of expensive agency nursing.

The trust will also concentrate private patients at Cheltenham General Hospital on Knightsbridge Ward.

It has also vowed to reduce the number of beds at GRH, which has been made possible by new policies in discharging patients quicker.

There will be a full review of all posts within the trust, and a review of services to see if they can be provided in the community.

The trust employs 8,200 people a year, and has a turnover of around £403million.

It treated around 700,000 patients last year.

Dr Frank Harsent, chief executive at the trust, said in his letter to staff: "This Trust belongs to all of us and we all have the ability to shape its future.

"We need to be in firm control of our finances otherwise the money will be in charge of us and we will be forced to spend most of the time on this issue.

"My preference is to be in control of the money and focus on the quality of care.

"We have a duty to our patients to provide the best services we can and I am personally committed to making sure that our patients don't feel the effects of this financial pinch.

"We are managing the situation and I am confident that, with everyone's help, we will be successful."

Dr Harsent appealed to staff that if they found themselves doing something which did not make sense, or could be done better and more cost effectively, then they should challenge this by writing to him.

A spokeswoman for the Local Involvement Network LINk in Gloucestershire said: "Anything to do with health and social care services in Gloucestershire, the LINk is interested in, it's what we're here for.

"Anyone who has concerns with the effect this will have on patients can contact us."

LINk can be contacted through their website www.gloslink.org.uk