HEALTH bosses grappling with millions of pounds of debt could have Government teams sent in to balance the books.

"Turnaround Teams" of financial and management experts will work with cash-strapped strategic health authorities, hospital trusts and primary care trusts as the NHS faces an estimated £620m overspend.

Selby and York Primary Care Trust is forecasting a debt of £9.968 million by April 2006 while Scarborough Whitby and Ryedale (SWR) PCT is predicting a £5million to £6m overspend.

Chiefs in Selby and York say it is not clear whether a team will visit while the Scarborough, Whitby and Ryedale Trust expects to be "on the radar".

Health Secretary Patricia Hewitt criticised NHS organisations which fail to manage their budgets, saying: "Inefficiency and poor financial management are not acceptable."

The teams will tackle the efficiency of clinical and support services while saving money. Improvements might include advice on better management of staffing costs or sharing of back-office functions.

They will focus on trusts and PCTs facing "the greatest challenges" but may then visit other organisations.

Sheenagh Powell, Selby and York PCT acting director of finance, said: "There is no clear indication whether a 'turn-around' team will be in place at the PCT."

She said a financial recovery plan was being formed to tackle the overspend, adding: "The PCT is also receiving support from Strategic Health Authority partners. A new acting chief executive and acting director of finance have been put in place to oversee the development of this recovery plan."

Penny Jones, acting chief executive, said the PCT faced "significant financial challenges".

She said hospitals treating patients with non-urgent conditions ahead of the six-month waiting time target was "having a significant effect on our finances".

"We plan and cost in advance how many instances of a procedure we are expecting to be carried out over the year.

"We have asked hospital trusts to take steps to ensure new patients with non-urgent conditions being referred are treated within the six-month target but not more quickly."

Adrian Brookes, director of finance at the Scarborough, Whitby and Ryedale Trust, said: "We would welcome any help and support in managing very challenging targets with not enough money.

"We have worked with external consultation and strategic health authority. I would be surprised if they come up with anything new but we wouldn't rule out any help."

He said the PCT was not among the worst cash-strapped organisations and they were not expecting an immediate visit.

He said: "We are still working hard, but we will come on to their radar very soon. We can't say in a cash-limited situation that services will remain unaffected. At the moment we have a vacancy freeze until March 31, so managers are having to manage as best they can."

Updated: 10:29 Monday, December 05, 2005