THE cash-strapped NHS York and North Yorkshire Primary Care Trust has defended its financial decisions after it came under fire from a Government health minister and MPs from the area in the House of Commons.

York Outer MP Julian Sturdy led a debate on the PCT in which he said: “I fear that our patch is in danger of becoming an area of health deprivation.”

He said voluntary organisations had had one month’s notice from York and North Yorkshire PCT that their health funding was to be cut for this financial year and raised concerns about the Government formula used to fund health services in the area which had led to the PCT having major financial problems.

“Due to the overspend and service reductions, there now exists a lack of trust in the PCT and a complete absence of confidence over its future intentions, and I fear that local people are simply paying too high a price for that,” he said.

Jayne Brown, the trust’s chief executive, said after the debate: “Nobody should be in any doubt as to the seriousness of the challenges we are facing.” The trust had to observe statutory controls on its spending and took its responsibility to provide healthcare for 800,000 people seriously.

“This means making hard decisions to protect services for the majority,” she said. The trust’s priority was to make significant short-term savings while maintaining essential services. The trust, working with other organisations particularly GPs, would work on a plan for a “sustainable future”.

In the debate, health minister Paul Burstow said neighbouring PCTs did not have the same financial problems and the York and North Yorkshire trust should not use Government funding formulae as an excuse.

But he agreed to look at the way the PCT was funded centrally.

The voluntary organisation funding withdrawal was “most troubling”, could have “serious consequences for the future” and was “alien to the spirit of collaboration and partnership we want the NHS to cultivate,” the minister said.

Mr Sturdy was supported by Selby’s MP, Nigel Adams, who criticised the PCT’s policy on back pain relief, and Harrogate and Knaresborough MP Andrew Jones, who criticised the decision to close the Hawthorn day unit in his constituency.

York Central MP Hugh Bayley, Scarborough and Whitby MP Robert Goodwill and Skipton and Ripon MP Julian Smith also attended.