HEALTH chiefs have met finance experts in a bid to resolve a wrangle which is holding up plans for a £96million 'super hospital'.

They now hope to get the problem, concerning an investment agency in the City, sorted out within two weeks, which would allow work to start this summer.

Because of its size, the project needs the backing of two of the City's independent rating agencies.

But only one has so far given the necessary 'investment grade rating' which will bring a flood of interest from investors looking for a guaranteed return.

Balfour Beatty, the private partner in the single site project which aims to unify hospital services on the Queen's Park site in Blackburn by 2006, has failed one of the 20 tests carried out by agency Moodies.

Representatives from Balfour Beatty, the trust and the NHS Private Finance Unit met on Friday to thrash out the problem so the project can move forward.

Director of Operations for East Lancashire Hospitals Trust John Dell said: "We are hopeful the problem will be sorted out within the next two weeks."

Meanwhile, the developers are still in discussion with Blackburn with Darwen planners over proposed amendments to the final plans.

Balfour Beatty had to withdraw plans requesting permission to alter some of the designs of the proposed building.

The alterations included changing the material used on the roof from a dull grey to bright silver aluminium and making the buildings rectangular rather than curved.

The hospital claimed the alterations were made for 'clinical operation purposes' but in a report to planners at Blackburn with Darwen Council, the new design is described as "unimaginative'"and "not suitable for a building in such a prominent location."

Councillors were advised to refuse the amendments, which would have meant the hospital trust could start the building work, but only with the original drawings.

An extra £10million of features have been added to the scheme to bring all hospital services in the town to the site.

Previous estimates put the building work, due to be completed in 2006, at £86million but health trust bosses in Blackburn have expanded plans further.

New features include a new cardiac catheter laboratory, allowing some heart operation procedures currently undertaken in Blackpool to be carried out locally.