COUNCILLORS in East Lancashire have voiced their disquiet over proposals by hospital chiefs to seek more independence from the NHS.

Pendle Council has lodged a formal objection to the bid by the East Lancashire Hospitals Trust for foundation status.

And councillors in Burnley have signalled their unhappiness at a decision by the borough council's executive to back the bid.

Pendle Liberal Democrat council leader Alan Davies said the authority had taken the unusual step of formally protesting about the bid following what his group sees as "recent mismanagement" of services at the Royal Black-burn and Burnley General Hospitals.

Coun Davies said: "We are not against foundation status as such - but in the present climate, in which there are so many stories and allegations of mismanagement, and the blatant hardship and inconv-enience for so many patients, we believe that the time for this is not right.

"What we are saying to the Government is - tell the trust to sort itself out and then look at it again'.

"We have consulted colleag-ues and there is no doubt that the view of the council is that this is not the right time for the hospitals to gain more independence from the NHS management."

Under foundation status, the trust would be run by a governing body, made up of health leaders, the local community and staff.

The trust would have more autonomy from direct NHS control, in deciding upon the particular health needs of East Lancashire patients.

Five councillors from neigh-bouring Burnley have called-in' the ruling executive's decision to support foundation status after it reluctantly backed the application despite misgivings over care standa-rds at Burnley General Hospital.

The issue will be debated by the environment and housing scrutiny committee tonight, where councillors could ask the executive to debate their decision again.

Hospital chiefs are staging talks with Burnley and Pendle Lib Dems, including Lord Greaves, to discuss concerns over changes made under the Meeting Patients' Needs programme, which saw blue light' emergencies diverted to Blackburn from Burnley.

Gary Graham, deputy chief executive for East Lancashire Hospitals NHS Trust, said: "Although not statutorily required to do so, the trust has asked Pendle Council for a view on our wish to become a foundation trust hospital.

"The view of the council will be considered by the trust board alongside the views of of our statutory stakeholders who have all supported our application.

"The trust is currently und-ergoing its final assessment on its fitness to become a foundation trust and there have been no major barriers to the application have been identified so far.

"We anticipate the trust will be in a position to formally make an application to Secretary of State at the end of January."