Hospital fells Christmas tree custom to save cash

8:12am Saturday 8th December 2012 in News

PATIENTS and staff will have to do without a Christmas tree outside the Royal Bolton Hospital this year because of budget cuts.

Hospital chiefs have decided that the ninemetre- tall tree, which is usually placed annually on the main driveway into the hospital opposite accident and emergency, costs too much.

As bosses review spending at the cashstrapped hospital, it was revealed that the price of moving the tree, assembling it and disposing of it after Christmas would be well over £1,000.

The hospital trust, which announced on November 14 that it would have to make 500 job cuts, including compulsory redundancies, is more than £11 million in the red.

It has to save £38 million in the next two years because of government cuts and has borrowed £10 million from the Department of Health.

Health watchdog Monitor has intervened following a damning financial report, and a £1 million “turnaround team” has been brought in to make savings.

Staff were told via their intranet that the main Christmas tree would not be put up in an effort to save money.

There will still be three other Christmas trees in the hospital.

The maternity unit and the children’s outpatients unit will both have a 2.5-metre tree and there will be an artificial tree in the main reception.

Stephen Tyldsley, the trust’s associate director of estates and facilities, said: “Due to the trust’s financial difficulty and constraints on financial department budgets, it has been decided that this year, the tree we purchase is a non-essential financial spend which would be over £1000.

“This cost is so high as the tree requires the hire of transport, lifting equipment, labour and cost to remove and dispose of the tree.

“This decision will be reviewed in the future, dependant on the trusts’ financial position.”

Volunteer manager Anne Arthur, who runs the Womens’ Royal Service at the hospital, said: “It is nice to have something to look at when you come into the grounds and it will be missed, but I think people will understand why, with the way things are at the moment.”

Comments (12)

7:43am Sun 9 Dec 12

hoboh2o says...

Oh lordy they can afford £1.5 million for a ward when they have no staff and are getting rid of even more with A&E possibly closing down in the next couple of years yet they cannot find a grand? They should contact the Fat Controller he's plenty from the public purse!
Oh lordy they can afford £1.5 million for a ward when they have no staff and are getting rid of even more with A&E possibly closing down in the next couple of years yet they cannot find a grand? They should contact the Fat Controller he's plenty from the public purse! hoboh2o

10:46am Sun 9 Dec 12

macauley says...

if this is for a sympathy vote from this failing hospital it wont get mine,and i suspect i wont be the only one.i wonder how more in the north west will be so petty?
if this is for a sympathy vote from this failing hospital it wont get mine,and i suspect i wont be the only one.i wonder how more in the north west will be so petty? macauley

8:24pm Sun 9 Dec 12

alecfranco says...

Why doesnt one of those (FAT-CAT -COUNCILORS) Donate a thousand pounds from their massive salary they get. I'm damm sure they could afford it, it might make one or all of them more popular with the general public an the electorate. Well it couldnt do them any harm.
Why doesnt one of those (FAT-CAT -COUNCILORS) Donate a thousand pounds from their massive salary they get. I'm damm sure they could afford it, it might make one or all of them more popular with the general public an the electorate. Well it couldnt do them any harm. alecfranco

8:45pm Sun 9 Dec 12

macauley says...

alecfranco wrote:
Why doesnt one of those (FAT-CAT -COUNCILORS) Donate a thousand pounds from their massive salary they get. I'm damm sure they could afford it, it might make one or all of them more popular with the general public an the electorate. Well it couldnt do them any harm.
you comment is spot on and i bet the staff there dont miss out on a christmas dinner.
[quote][p][bold]alecfranco[/bold] wrote: Why doesnt one of those (FAT-CAT -COUNCILORS) Donate a thousand pounds from their massive salary they get. I'm damm sure they could afford it, it might make one or all of them more popular with the general public an the electorate. Well it couldnt do them any harm.[/p][/quote]you comment is spot on and i bet the staff there dont miss out on a christmas dinner. macauley

9:35am Mon 10 Dec 12

oftbewildered2 says...

macauley wrote:
alecfranco wrote:
Why doesnt one of those (FAT-CAT -COUNCILORS) Donate a thousand pounds from their massive salary they get. I'm damm sure they could afford it, it might make one or all of them more popular with the general public an the electorate. Well it couldnt do them any harm.
you comment is spot on and i bet the staff there dont miss out on a christmas dinner.
I am sure the staff at the hospital will have a Christmas dinner on the menu - which they may choose to purchase if they want to.
[quote][p][bold]macauley[/bold] wrote: [quote][p][bold]alecfranco[/bold] wrote: Why doesnt one of those (FAT-CAT -COUNCILORS) Donate a thousand pounds from their massive salary they get. I'm damm sure they could afford it, it might make one or all of them more popular with the general public an the electorate. Well it couldnt do them any harm.[/p][/quote]you comment is spot on and i bet the staff there dont miss out on a christmas dinner.[/p][/quote]I am sure the staff at the hospital will have a Christmas dinner on the menu - which they may choose to purchase if they want to. oftbewildered2

12:39pm Mon 10 Dec 12

BWFC1988 says...

A grand for a Christmas tree?! Behave!!!
A grand for a Christmas tree?! Behave!!! BWFC1988

12:42pm Mon 10 Dec 12

BWFC1988 says...

Perhaps someone high up should have a word with the neighboring car-park owners, seeing as they're making astronomical profits by taking advantage of people visiting their loved ones. Surely, they'd be willing to have a whip-round, a grand out of the xmas party funds shouldn't hit them too hard.
Perhaps someone high up should have a word with the neighboring car-park owners, seeing as they're making astronomical profits by taking advantage of people visiting their loved ones. Surely, they'd be willing to have a whip-round, a grand out of the xmas party funds shouldn't hit them too hard. BWFC1988

9:25pm Mon 10 Dec 12

macauley says...

ime sure if they got a smaller one for £20.it would do the same job,and would cost nothing to get rid of after the festive season.
ime sure if they got a smaller one for £20.it would do the same job,and would cost nothing to get rid of after the festive season. macauley

1:44pm Fri 14 Dec 12

boltonnut says...

I bet the bar bill at their xmas p1sh up cost more than the tree and they won't be footing the bill.Bah humbug.Shame on you.
I bet the bar bill at their xmas p1sh up cost more than the tree and they won't be footing the bill.Bah humbug.Shame on you. boltonnut

3:50pm Fri 14 Dec 12

BIGSTEE says...

WELL SEEING THE COMMENTS OF SOME PEOPLE... WHAT IS YOUR PROBLEMS,, ITS A FLIPPIN CHRISTMAS TREE AND THE ARTICLE NEGLECTED TO MENSION THAT THE HOSPITAL HAS 3 OTHER TREES,,THERE IS NO PI** UPSTHAT THE BILL NEEDS FOOTING FOR,, IF THE STAFF WANT A DO THEY PAY FOR IT THEMSELVES!,, DONT COMMENT ON WHAT YOU DONT KNOW ABOUT, BOLTON HOSPITAL IS A GREAT INSTITUTION WHO HELPS MILLIONS OF PEOPLE EACH YEAR,, YET PEOPLE FORGET THIS FACT BECAUSE THERE TOO BUSEY MOANING ABOUT A BL**DY TREE,, IF YOU WANT TO BLAME SOMEONE,, DAVID CAMERON IS THE ONE ,, NOT THE PEOPLE WHO WORK 24 7 TO KEEP THE HOSPITAL RUNNING....
WELL SEEING THE COMMENTS OF SOME PEOPLE... WHAT IS YOUR PROBLEMS,, ITS A FLIPPIN CHRISTMAS TREE AND THE ARTICLE NEGLECTED TO MENSION THAT THE HOSPITAL HAS 3 OTHER TREES,,THERE IS NO PI** UPSTHAT THE BILL NEEDS FOOTING FOR,, IF THE STAFF WANT A DO THEY PAY FOR IT THEMSELVES!,, DONT COMMENT ON WHAT YOU DONT KNOW ABOUT, BOLTON HOSPITAL IS A GREAT INSTITUTION WHO HELPS MILLIONS OF PEOPLE EACH YEAR,, YET PEOPLE FORGET THIS FACT BECAUSE THERE TOO BUSEY MOANING ABOUT A BL**DY TREE,, IF YOU WANT TO BLAME SOMEONE,, DAVID CAMERON IS THE ONE ,, NOT THE PEOPLE WHO WORK 24 7 TO KEEP THE HOSPITAL RUNNING.... BIGSTEE

3:54pm Fri 14 Dec 12

BIGSTEE says...

BWFC1988 wrote:
A grand for a Christmas tree?! Behave!!!
a grand is how much it would cost to buy,move,fit,decorat
e,power, then despose of afterwards!including transport staff etc etc... if you could do it cheaper... go ahead!
[quote][p][bold]BWFC1988[/bold] wrote: A grand for a Christmas tree?! Behave!!![/p][/quote]a grand is how much it would cost to buy,move,fit,decorat e,power, then despose of afterwards!including transport staff etc etc... if you could do it cheaper... go ahead! BIGSTEE

11:08pm Fri 14 Dec 12

twowok says...

The truth is the fat cats get fatter. But the people who actually do the work are being screwed good and proper, downgrading which equals less pay for same work. It is not the fault of front line workers but regrettable they are the ones that must pay! It would be great if the people of this country would not be brain washed as to thinking its all NHS workers that are to blame and support the workers who contrary to what the government would like you to believe actually do care! It's a well known Frase 'divide and conquer ' wake up and smell the coffee people before its too late and before we are all screwed!
The truth is the fat cats get fatter. But the people who actually do the work are being screwed good and proper, downgrading which equals less pay for same work. It is not the fault of front line workers but regrettable they are the ones that must pay! It would be great if the people of this country would not be brain washed as to thinking its all NHS workers that are to blame and support the workers who contrary to what the government would like you to believe actually do care! It's a well known Frase 'divide and conquer ' wake up and smell the coffee people before its too late and before we are all screwed! twowok

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