UP to 85 health jobs will be lost as the PCTs struggle to find savings of £20m.

In a letter sent to staff, leaked to the Wiltshire Times, chief executive of the Kennet and north Wiltshire and west Wiltshire PCTs Carol Clarke said the redundancies were a necessary and important contribution to our financial recovery.'

The job losses are in addition to cost saving proposals under the Pathways for Change consultation. The executive directors of the PCTs will be meeting this month to identify where jobs can be reduced and staff will be contacted by May 15 if their jobs are affected.