Scotland has cut the number of managers by 8.1% in the past year as part of its plans to reduce NHS senior management by 25% by 2015, according to new figures.
Workforce statistics from the Scottish Government show there was a reduction of 107 whole time equivalent (WTE) senior managers or 8.1% in the year to March 2011.
The Information Service Division (ISD) Scotland quarterly statistics on NHS staff were also published highlighting an overall workforce reduction of 1,410 (WTE) or 1.1% from March 30 to June 30, 2011.
The number of nursing and midwifery posts fell by 485.7 (WTE), or 0.8%, and the number of administrative posts fell by 499.8 (WTE), or 2% during this period. The figures do not include the GP workforce.
Also published by the Scottish Government were the NHS workforce projections for 2011-12.
These projections (which are inclusive of any reductions over the March to June quarter) show the number of staff working in the NHS is set to reduce by 2,400 (WTE) or 1.8% during 2011-12.
If these projections come to pass, the largest percentage reduction (4.3%) will be in administrative staff, of which management posts are projected to fall by 9.5%. Nursing and midwifery staff in post is projected to fall by 1.7%.
Scottish health secretary Nicola Sturgeon said: “I am pleased to see good progress on the target to reduce senior managers which will contribute to more than £100m a year in non-clinical efficiency savings to be spent on frontline services.
“However, I appreciate that any reduction in the NHS workforce - particularly when it involves nurses, who are so vital to delivering quality care and service changes and who make up 40% of the total workforce - will cause concern.
“The fact is, though, that the NHS doesn't stand still. The way that services are delivered is constantly changing. For example, over three quarters of all surgery is now done on a day case rather than an inpatient basis, and hospital stays are shorter than ever before. It is therefore inevitable that the size and shape of the NHS workforce will change to reflect this.
“My assurance to patients is that quality will always come first.”
Ms Sturgeon also said there would be no compulsory redundancies in the NHS and any reductions this year would happen mainly through natural turnover.