The two NHS foundation trusts in Bournemouth and Poole say they'll try to avoid redundancies where possible, and a figure of 750 job losses being reported isn't necessarily true.

A spokesperson for the Royal Bournemouth and Christchurch Hospitals has told Fire News that up to ten percent of posts could go between 2013 and 2017, if the merger with Poole Hospital goes ahead next year as planned.

But they've stressed that the vast majority will be where people who retire or move on, aren't replaced.