PATHOLOGY Queensland is preparing to shed staff as part of $25 million in budget cuts, and employees have been warned "being frontline offers no protection".

An email from Pathology Queensland's principal chief scientist for haematology, Dominic Burns, outlines government plans for the organisation to become "more efficient with less resources".

"There is a head count imperative as well as a budget imperative," he says in the email.

"The budget would be difficult to achieve without reducing staff."

The email, obtained by The Courier-Mail, says if a role is no longer required, human resources will work with affected employees on the possibility of placement in another position.

A video conference with staff is planned for later this week, when further details are expected to be revealed.

Mr Burns' email refers staff to Queensland Health's Employee Assistance Program, a free counselling service, given "there may be considerable stress and uncertainty for everyone".

He said it was possible some services may be devolved to the 17 hospital and health service districts.

Public health expert Mike Daube, professor of health policy at Curtin University in Western Australia, said yesterday that devolution of services to the districts could be "expensive or a recipe for disaster - possibly both".

"There is no way that 17 boards will have the expertise to address all the issues and problems they will face," Professor Daube said.

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Frontline health staff's job cut warning