Thirty-eight employees of Grand River Hospital will receive layoff notices in the near future, hospital officials said Tuesday, and a further 30 positions will be eliminated.

Hospital president Malcolm Maxwell blamed the cuts on a $10-million funding gap the hospital faces for the coming year.

Eleven of the 38 positions cut will be nursing positions. Despite that, Maxwell said in an interview that the hospital’s level of service would not be affected.

Laid off staff members may be able to move into other positions in the hospital.

Those decisions will be made based on existing collective agreements, hospital officials said.

The 68 positions affected by Tuesday's announcement represent about two per cent of the hospital's total staffing level.