BLUEPRINTS to provide general surgery and orthopaedic procedures at a range of private hospitals sites across Lancashire have been delayed.

The hold-up for the £500 million independent sector treatment centres deal, with Swedish healthcare giant Capio, is the second postponement affecting joint NHS and private sector deals in a month.

The Lancashire Telegraph revealed in July that the controversial clinical assessment and treatment centres (CATs) would not be forthcoming until next spring.

Like the Capio contract, the deal with South African healthcare provider Netcare, for CATs, had been due to commence this autumn.

An NHS North West spokesman said: "It does not look as if this contract will begin until October now.

"We were hoping it would be up and running in September but there have been some glitches and it will be October now."

No confirmation has yet been made of what provisions have been made for East Lancashire as part of the five-year Capio contract.

The private health firm has two Lancashire hospitals, at Fulwood, near Preston, and Euxton Hall, Chorley.

Private health facililties in Clitheroe had been suggested as one possible location for East Lancashire patients but no firm announcement has been made.

This would result in a substantial round trip for patients living in the likes of Pendle, Rossendale and even parts of Blackburn and Darwen.

Bus services to Clitheroe are not as regular as other parts of East Lancashire, which concerns health campaigners.

Bosses at the hospitals group have been actively recruiting experts in general surgery, orthopaedics and anaesthetics as part of the contract.

It is estimated that across Lancashire and Cumbria, the area covered by the deal, 11,000 surgical procedures will be transferred there from NHS sites.

The number of procedures which would have been carried out under the CATS contract is understood to have changed and partners Netcare are formulating their response to the proposals.

Health campaigners in East Lancashire say the CATs' work, covering a range of disciplines, could be carried out by NHS staff.

Similar arguments by Chorley Hospital supporters persuaded commissioners to allow the work to remain within the NHS.

While St Peters Health Centre in Burnley has been pinpointed as one CATs base, no decision has been reached on whether the Blackburn site should be the private BMI Beardwood Hospital, on Preston New Road, or the Royal Blackburn Hospital.