JOBS might have to be axed at Oxford Brookes University as it faces funding cuts and falling student numbers in some technical subjects.

The university, which is based in Headington, announced it is working to make savings in the School of Technology and the School of Health and Social Care, which currently offers courses in nursing, midwifery, occupational therapy and physiotherapy.

Oxford Brookes receives about £8m from the NHS to fund these courses, but has been warned to expect cuts of at least ten per cent over the next three years as the national NHS funding crisis worsens.

This means less students will be able to enrol in courses, which June Girvin, the dean of the School of Health and Social Care, says will ultimately lead to less people entering the profession.

About 1,200 students are currently enrolled at the school. This will drop to 1,068 by 2009/10. It also means job cuts might have to be made.

She said: "This is a big issue for us. We are trying to deal with it as quickly as we can because of the uncertainty for staff.

"It is a hugely frustrating situation as it is largely out of our control.

"Because of the kind of education we provide, a high proportion of the school's costs are in staffing.

"Staff cuts will depend on savings made in other areas, but it could mean 15 to 20 job losses in the school."

A total of 280 staff are employed at the school.

She added: "This is not just a local issue. It is happening across the UK.

"The big problem is that the short-term approach to making savings in the NHS will have a long-term effect on the future of the NHS workforce. It is an easy solution to a complex problem in the NHS, but it means there will be far fewer nurses and midwives.

"We have a very successful school here. We are having to make difficult decisions through no fault of our own."

The School of Technology is also facing problems because of a decline in the number of international students wanting to take up courses, which it also says is a national rather than local problem.

A spokesman said: "The downturn in the numbers of international students wanting to study some technical subjects means the school is seeking to achieve savings of £300,000 in the coming year."

Vice Chancellor Professor Graham Upton said: "The university has some difficult decisions to make in these two schools. I want to emphasise, however, that overall the university is in a strong financial position, is continuing to invest in its academic programmes and remains an extremely popular choice for students.

"We cannot absorb NHS funding cuts and subsidise areas which are nationally under pressure.

"This would only endanger the quality of our students' education right across the university and jeopardise our growing research expertise."

He assured staff and students that jobs would be protected "as far as possible".

For six years running, Oxford Brookes has been rated by The Sunday Times as the leading modern university with 24 subjects rated as excellent.