OFFICES at Winchester's cash-strapped hospital are to be cleaned once a month instead of daily, under cost-cutting measures.

Non-clinical areas are only to be vacuumed and dusted once-monthly, and toilets cleaned twice a week.

Staff are to be given cleaning products and equipment to tidy up their own work spaces between cleans. They have also been asked to empty office bins to prevent a fire risk.

Hospital workers were informed of the cleaning cuts in a letter from Michael Leggatt, head of hotel and general services.

Mr Leggatt said: "In the current harsh financial climate we are obliged to focus our attention on patient areas, ensuring that a high standard of cleanliness is achieved and maintained."

But one member of staff, who did not wish to be named, said she was "shocked and appalled" the hospital was cutting cleaning - while employing five new directors on "fat cat salaries" of £85,000 a year each.

She said medical and nursing staff frequently used the toilets and office areas, and they could carry germs back to patients.

Winchester and Eastleigh Healthcare Trust has accumulated debts of £7.6m, and is £2.2m in the red this year.

Chief executive Chris Evennett said: "We are sure that staff, our patients and the public would want us to find savings from areas that do not affect clinical care.

"We also know how pleased and proud people are that this trust is regularly among the best in the country for its infection control rates.

"Reduced cleaning of our offices that aren't next to patient areas will lead to savings without jeopardising our fantastic track record in keeping the wards clean.

"The vast majority of staff understand why we're taking this and other cost-saving measures. On a daily basis I am amazed at how hard everyone is working to find ways to continue putting patients first, whilst generating savings and cutting costs.

"The future of this Trust relies on us all pulling together to make every aspect of our savings plans a success - if that means office staff emptying their bins occasionally, then surely it is a small price to pay."

* HOSPITAL workers were informed by bosses this week if their jobs are on the line in the first round of cuts.

The trust that runs the Royal Hampshire County Hospital is cutting 310 jobs, including 144 nurses and 10 consultants.

The plan is to shed 181 jobs by March 2007, and a further 129 by March 2009.

Chief executive, Chris Evennett, has warned hospitals that fail to balance the books could be merged, lose services or even be closed.

A trust spokesman said: "Staff members whose positions are at risk have now been informed, but there have not been any confirmed redundancies.

"Any redundancies will be confirmed in writing to individual staff next week and until that point we can't discuss figures."

Doug Smith, spokesman for Amicus union, said staff targeted in the first round of job cuts included a senior manager, porters and cleaners, but no doctors or nurses yet.