PATIENTS from outside North Yorkshire are welcome at York Hospital for operations unavailable to many local people, one of its chiefs said.

Earlier this week, we revealed the extent of the postcode lottery which is now dividing our region because of far-reaching health cuts imposed by the county's debt-ridden primary care trust.

They include the suspension of a list of operations, including IVF, injections for back pain, grommets, vasectomies, and treatment for bunions and ganglions.

The bizarre system hits home in villages on county borders where some patients are registered with GPs in North Yorkshire, whereas their neighbours see a doctor in a different primary care trust area.

Those registered outside the county, in East Yorkshire for example, can be referred by the doctors for the operations which are being denied for North Yorkshire residents - save in exceptional cases.

York Hospital's nursing director Mike Proctor told The Press that patients from other PCT areas were welcome to be treated in York.

"We're happy to take referrals from other PCTs," he said. "There's no reason why not - we've got surgeons which can do that work, as long as the PCT who are sending those patients will fund them."

The hospital is already treating patients from areas like West Yorkshire for obesity surgery, which is not currently available to most local patients because the North Yorkshire's PCT is carrying out a review into the procedure.

Meanwhile, one patients' group from Wilberfoss - one of the areas particularly affected by the postcode lottery - has hit out at the way in which local people were being denied surgery their neighbours could get.

Members of Wilberfoss and Elvington patients' committee - a group of patients living in Wilberfoss who are registered at Elvington Medical Practice in North Yorkshire - said in a joint statement: "We think it's a disgrace that the PCT's actions have created a postcode lottery for members of Elvington surgery in our area.

"The problem that has been created for our doctors is unfair and unjust, as people in our village belonging to East Riding surgeries will be (able) to get their treatment in hospital, whereas our members in East Riding (who) belong to Elvington, will not."

A spokesman for North Yorkshire and York PCT said the organisation's approach to healthcare within its own "huge geographical area" was consistent. He said: "While primary care trusts are subject to a wide range of national NHS targets which we must meet, local decision-making based on the circumstances of each health community is an important part of our role and there will always be some differences of approach and priority between PCTs. These can be more apparent in areas on our boundary."