Forty-five staff are set to lose their jobs at Poppies Day Nursery at Leicester Royal Infirmary, Bluebells Day Nursery at Leicester General Hospital and Buttercups Day Nursery at Glenfield Hospital.
The University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust, which has a budget deficit of £58m, says it currently spends £433,000 a year subsidising the three nurseries for its staff. The nurseries provide childcare for 191 parents, and 168 of these are employed by UHL.
The decision to close the nurseries was taken at a recent Trust board meeting.
Kate Bradley, director of human resources, said, 'Over the last two years, the Trust has tried to secure the long-term future of the on-site nurseries, without the constant need for subsidy. A formal tendering process commenced in October 2009 and concluded in March 2010, with no formal submissions having been received.'
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