MANAGERS at Benenden Hospital have announced that almost a third of the workforce will lose their jobs in a review of services.

At least 140 jobs are to go at the hospital - owned by a non profit-making charitable trust - leaving just over 300 staff.

The news comes after shocked staff were told in May that more than 100 were to go in the review - the first phase of a strategic review, aimed at making the hospital cost-effective while keeping pace with modern procedures.

Since then, managers have been looking at the detail of the review to discover how best to implement the changes.

No one department will bear the brunt of the job losses, but a cross section of staff are likely to be affected, with doctors, nurses and support staff all facing the threat of redundancy from January 1, 2004.

Meetings will now start between managers, staff and unions to negotiate the losses, allowing staff to know as soon as possible who is to be affected. It is hoped that compulsory redundancies will be kept to a minimum.