Anger as more jobs go at NHS trusts.

LEADERS of doctors, nurses and other health workers last night expressed

"unprecedented" levels of anger with the Government over its reforms of the health service.

Officials from 12 unions met with health secretary Patricia Hewitt to call for more consultation with staff over changes which they claimed were leading to the privatisation of the NHS.

The talks followed fresh announcements of several hundred more job losses in the NHS as trusts continued to make cuts to balance the books.

The City Hospitals Sunderland Foundation Trust said it would axe up to 500 jobs, around 10% of its workforce, to clear a pounds 5m deficit, while the Brighton and Sussex University Hospitals Trust said it will be increasing job losses from 342 to 500 as well as closing a number of beds.

Campaigners said they were shocked at the scale of the latest job losses which took the total number of job loss announcements this year to more than 18,000.

Brendan Barber, general secretary of the TUC, said the meeting with the minister was aimed at explaining the strength of concerns about the NHS reforms.