PATIENT care WILL be affected by huge cost cuts facing cash-strapped health bosses over the coming year, according to an MP.

York MP Hugh Bayley said care of patients is likely to be affected next year, as he revealed that bosses at the severely debt-ridden Selby and York Primary Care Trust (PCT) face having to cut spending by a colossal £21.5 million on last year just to balance the books.

That cost saving comes before they can make any inroads into the giant deficit of £23.7million, which was forecast for the end of the financial year, last Friday.

"Yes, it will impact on patient care," said Mr Bayley. "What I'm absolutely determined about is that there will be no cuts whatsoever in emergency or urgent treatment.

"For non-urgent treatment, I think there will be longer waits."

Mr Bayley has said in a speech to the House of Commons that under the Government's financial rules, the PCT has to pay back all its deficit - as well as achieve financial balance - by April 2007.

That would mean slashing a total of £45 million from health services, and would leave the trust "little more than an emergency service".

In his speech he also said he feared the hospital would need to discharge patients earlier and "may end up ending or limiting treatment for some non life-threatening conditions".

Only a few months ago, the Evening Press understood that the trust was planning to balance its books within two years, and pay back its debt in five years.

According to Mr Bayley, it is now facing the real threat of having to do both in only one year.

Both he and the Selby MP John Grogan are campaigning for the Government to give the PCT more time to pay back its debt.

PCT chairman Wendy Bundy said no decisions had yet been reached.

Discussions on the financial way forward would take place at a top-level board meeting to take place towards the end of this month.

Jim Easton, chief executive of York Hospitals NHS Trust, said York Hospital was already a cost-effective hospital committed to quality patient care.

"If the PCT were forced to reduce spending by tens of millions of pounds in a single year we would obviously have very significant concerns about the impact on services for patients."

Updated: 09:24 Monday, April 03, 2006