Rumours about job losses at Tauranga Hospital are being labelled wrong by the Bay of Plenty District Health Board.

The New Zealand Nurses Organisation says BOP DHB nurses have been warned about job cuts coming their way.

The organisation is also saying the DHB has signalled it has a deficit somewhere between $8 million to $12 million.

BOP DHB communications manager Diana Marriot says they are not currently in deficit.

She says they are committed to reaching their 2011/12 break even plan whilst addressing the cost pressures all DHBs are facing.

'The Bay of Plenty DHB has balanced its books for each of the last six years and intends to continue to do so.

'We have not received any instruction from the Minister of the type the NZNO allege in relation to deficits as the Bay of Plenty DHB does not have one.

'Our result at the end of January was a surplus of $700,000 which is $100,000 better than plan.”

Diana says a paper has been submitted to the Board anticipating a break even result for 2012/13.

'To achieve this goal every department is being asked to review their resources both in terms of supplies and staffing as the fiscal environment tightens.”

She says currently there are no redundancies planned for front line nursing staff.

'Nursing staff have been asked to work with the nursing leadership to identify where efficiencies can be gained but this will never be at the expense of patient safety or care,” says BOP DHB director of nursing Julie Robinson said.

'We are committed as a DHB to Safe Staffing Healthy Workplace and the use of Trendcare to match nursing resources to patient need.”