FERRYING seriously ill patients from hospital to hospital is "unacceptable", according to York's MP.

Hugh Bayley was speaking after we revealed on Saturday how up to seven patients a day could find themselves turned away from York Hospital's Accident and Emergency department if beds were full.

The hospital is having to shut up to 95 beds and lose 200 jobs this year, blaming a cut in funding of £4 million from the cash-strapped North Yorkshire and York Primary Care Trust (PCT).

As part of the PCT's plans to turnaround its finances, it aims to treat more people in the community, so avoiding the need to stay in hospital. That means it is only prepared to pay for 500 patients a week to turn up at York Hospital as emergency patients - 50 fewer than the organisation treated in an average seven days last year.

The hospital has warned because of the cut in funding, seven patients a day are likely to be taken to other hospitals because there are no beds available for them.

Mr Bayley said this situation would be deplorable.

He said: "It's unacceptable for seriously ill patients to be shuttled by ambulance from hospital to hospital to find an empty bed.

"This is what happened when the Conservatives were in power and ending it was Labour's first achievement when we became responsible for the NHS. Emergency patients should always be treated as a priority."

Mr Bayley wrote to the PCT last month asking for an explanation of why York Hospital's funding was being cut when the Government had pledged a growth of funding of £77 million - which has since grown to nearly £100 million.

Coun Sue Galloway, York council's adult social services chief, said news emergency patients would be turned away from York Hospital was "most definitely not good for patients".

She said: "If you need emergency hospital treatment then most people will expect to receive that locally - unless it is of a very specialist nature."

The PCT has said it is investing in measures to make sure fewer people have to go to hospital in the first place, such as telling ambulance crews what other services are available.