PROPOSALS that staff at Musgrove Park Hospital in Taunton take a day or more of unpaid leave to help generate more than £1million in savings have been met by strong objections from public service union Unison.

The suggestion, revealed for the first time last week by the County Gazette, outlined in a leaked email from Taunton and Somerset NHS Trust, had come from a consultant, in the hope of generating 'non-recurring financial benefit'.

The trust is trying to save £1.3m to make the books balance following an overspend on its predicted budget.

Unison regional officer Helen Eccles said: "We are alarmed by this suggestion from the trust. Unison believes that this proposal puts emotional pressure on an already overburdened workforce.

"These staff are dedicated hard working professionals who already work above and beyond their duties on behalf of the NHS.

"Many staff earn very little and to ask them to take money out of their pay packets is unreasonable.

"We are concerned that staff will bow to this emotional pressure and will volunteer in the belief that they are helping the NHS but this is not the solution."

A trust spokesman said: "One member of staff suggested we should offer additional unpaid leave if people request it.

"This idea did not originate from Trust management but it has been publicised along with the other staff suggestions.

"Some staff, including the Executive Directors and a number of senior Consultants, have indicated that they intend to take up this offer.

"The Trust is neither encouraging nor discouraging this, just enabling staff to take it up if they wish.

"There is absolutely no pressure from the trust on staff to take this up.

" If Unison are suggesting that the trust is putting any pressure on staff to take unpaid leave they are wrong.

"Additional unpaid leave will only be granted if there are no backfill costs and patient care is not affected."