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RCGP announces further redundancies

The RCGP has revealed that five senior posts will be made redundant and much of its IT workforce will be transferred to an outside provider in the latest phase of its reorganisation.

The college proposes to create a new planning and resources directorate with several new roles, subject to consultation to be completed by Christmas. To achieve this, it plans to make its executive director of group finance and resources, and the heads of HR and finance - both currently vacant posts - redundant.

Two further posts - head of digital delivery and head of ICT - are also likely to cease to exist from next spring if plans to outsource a number of positions in its digital delivery and ICT teams go ahead. Other staff would be transferred under TUPE, with a small team remaining in-house to handle customer interface, IT infrastructure and contracts.

In May, Pulse revealed that the RCGP was to make at least eight staff redundant under its cost-cutting drive and the college said that its financial situation remained ‘under review’ as it began to make mortgage repayments on new headquarters in 30 Euston Square.

The RCGP is looking to save £620,000 a year and it has also struck a deal to rent out a section of its new headquarters in central London to the College of Social Work.

In a statement today, the college said: ‘These measures have worked and at the mid-year point, the organisation was on course to break even for 2013/14.’

RCGP chief executive Neil Hunt said: ‘Given the challenges that the RCGP faces, it is critical that we enhance the way we plan and use our resources. Change is always difficult, but we have to ensure that we are in the best possible shape to help GPs meet the multiple challenges caused by the on-going decline in funding for general practice across the UK.’

He added: ‘We regret having to propose the deletion of any posts of our valued staff and will do all we can to support the people affected through the process. However, we have a duty to our members to find ways of working that deliver the best value for money possible. This is something that all organisations have to do in the modern era.’

’I am confident that through the changes we are making we will remain financially robust and will go on to play an ever greater role in promoting general practice and excellent patient care across the UK.’