There are fears up to 60 jobs could be lost at a private hospital in Co Derry.
The North West Independent Hospital in Ballykelly has confirmed it has begun redundancy negotiations with its 180 staff.
The hospital, which opened in 1989, employs 180 staff and is operated by the North West Healthcare Group which comprises of North West Independent Hospital, North West Care and North West Recruitment, employing a total of 500 people.
The group’s clients include the Northern, Western and Belfast health and social care trusts.
The move comes after the Health and Social Care Board earlier this year told health trusts to “pause” referrals to private clinics.
The hospital said the jobs’ threat was linked to the cut in National Health Service referrals.
All the North’s health trusts refer routine work, such as orthopaedic surgery, to private clinics as part of what is called the “waiting list initiative.”
The hospital said because such referral work had now been terminated it had no option but to “significantly reduce” staff numbers.
It is not yet known which areas will affected, but the clinic said its private health care, domiciliary care and recruitment divisions would be unaffected.
East Derry DUP MLA George Robinson has called for an urgent meeting with Health Minister Edwin Poots to discuss the job threat to staff.
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