Jonathan Oliver

HUNDREDS of doctors and thousands of nurses will lose their jobs over the next five years under secret cost-cutting plans.

The cuts to clinical staff, exposed in documents released under the Freedom of Information Act, undermine Labour’s election pledge to protect services.

Half of all hospitals that responded to the FoI requests said they were planning to cut the number of doctors and nurses. Two-thirds also said they would cut the number of hospital beds.

Ministers have always insisted that the planned efficiency savings could be achieved by cutting waste and bureaucracy alone.

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