THE modern matron is among nursing posts to be scrapped from a key department at Burnley General Hospital as part of a cash savings drive.

A leaked document shows that health bosses want to do away with the highest grade of nurse - which was hailed as a return to traditional NHS values - covering general surgery beds at the hospital.

And the number of staff who are trained to another top grade in the department is to be slashed in half - even though only 25per cent of beds are to go to save cash.

Today East Lancashire Hospitals NHS Trust refused to confirm, or comment, on the plan - outlined in a paper given to staff - or whether further bed cuts would see top-level staff axed.

But a union leader said she had "grave concerns" about the loss of expertise, considering only 18 beds are to be axed next month.

The staffing changes have been brought in to save £2.5million for the cash-strapped Trust, which is grappling with its biggest-ever financial challenge, to save £14million this year.

More than a fifth of all overnight beds across the Trust are to be axed by April, so about 325 staff can be sent to empty posts, thus eliminating job roles and saving millions in salary payments.

The general surgery department at Burnley General will go from 74 to 56 beds. And the one modern matron who oversees the department - on ward 23 and 24 - will not remain.

The Government announced the return of the matron after an absence of more than 30 years in 2001. The then Health Secretary Alan Milburn said: "Patients want to know who to turn to. They need to know who's in charge. Matrons on the wards will have the authority to put things right for patients."

Meanwhile, the two nursing posts on the next highest level will be kept, but the number of lower scale "level six" nurses will plummet from the equivalent of 17.5 full-time roles to just eight, more than 50per cent. The smallest reduction, of 20per cent, is for band three, the lowest band for auxiliary nurses.

Caroline Collins, Lancashire spokeswoman for the Royal College of Nursing union, said: "I have very grave concerns about this. How can they be improving the quality of patient care when the mix of skills is being downgraded? They will be losing most of the experience and trained nursing staff.

"If I was a patient it would cause me great concern because the numbers and experience is going to be less."

A Trust spokesman said the authority would not comment on the figures as they were being discussed with staff behind closed doors.

The paper states the bed cuts will leader to beds being used more efficiently as people will not stay in hospital as long.

Overall 38 surgery beds are to go at Burnley, which will see full-time posts fall from 166 to 127.