IT'S no secret that most things to do with the National Health Service could do with more cash.

Money is tight throughout the country and competition for any extra cash that the government might put into the system is intense because of the wide variety of competing interests.

East Lancashire is no exception and those with their hands on the purse strings face big expenditure in the near future with the planned replacement of Blackburn Royal Infirmary by a new super Queen's Park Hospital complex.

The new hospital promises better services so what are we to make of the concern about health finances expressed today by former Trust chairman Ian Woolley?

Mr Woolley stepped down last year after 19 years as chairman when two trusts merged to form the East Lancashire Hospitals NHS Trust.

He points to the trust's debt of £6.1million and says he fears patient care could be seriously affected by a failure to balance the books.

Mr Woolley does not blame current management but says the trust has not had enough "help and support to be able to balance the books".

The acting boss of the new trust acknowledges the debts but says measures have been introduced to control spending.

The warning has been given. Those in charge must ensure that services are not allowed to slide.