STAFF at Southampton's hospitals were facing an uncertain future today after health bosses voted to push ahead with plans for up to 100 redundancies.

Southampton University Hospitals NHS Trust also voted to axe about 85 hospital beds as the organisation struggles to reduce a budget deficit currently standing at £11.3m.

Chief executive Mark Hackett told a packed board meeting how the plans followed an audit which suggested that three out of ten patients could be cared for more appropriately outside acute hospitals.

The trust wants to transfer patients to community hospitals or into social services care in a bid to reduce costs.

Mr Hackett said: "Continuing to operate in the way we do is not an option. We need to take this opportunity to look at reshaping our clinical work. It is patently clear that our current system is not designed appropriately to deal with the patients' needs as we would like."

The proposed cutbacks include the closure of some beds used by frail, elderly patients who are recovering from operations before being well enough to return home. About 100 staff will be affected by the plans but it is hoped as many as possible can be re-deployed within the trust or elsewhere in the health and social care community.

Yesterday's meeting, attended by about 25 members of staff, heard how the trust, which runs Southampton General, the Royal South Hants and the Princess Anne hospitals, needed to lose 458 posts in total.

About 150 had already gone through decreased use of agency nurses and other temporary staff, while a further 100 were expected to be lost through natural wastage, redeployments and secondments.

A further 200 posts remain in doubt as part of the trust's package to save £15m by April 2005.

Board members agreed to the proposed bed closures and the principle of making between 20 and 99 staff redundant.

Bosses have asked for plans to be drawn up for both voluntary and compulsory redundancies.

Meanwhile Southampton City Primary Care Trust is already planning for its community hospitals to provide extra services.

Social services officers are also looking at ways of providing additional support.