A TOP doctor who spearheads a cash-strapped clinic for anorexia sufferers today spoke of his hope that crisis talks would keep the unit open.

Health chiefs have revealed that the eating disorder unit in Colne Road, Reedley, is heading for a £260,000 loss this year and it will shut unless extra funding is found.

The clinic, which opened amid a storm of protest from residents in 1995, treats people with bulimia, anorexia and other eating disorders from inside and outside East Lancashire and had previously proved to be a money-spinner for the Burnley NHS Trust.

But occupancy of the six in-patient beds has fallen from a financially viable 80 per cent to 40 or 50 per cent. In the year to the end of March, the unit lost £60,000.

Today Dr Michael Launer, who is clinical director of eating disorder services for the Burnley NHS Trust, said the clinic a was vital part of the treatment cycle. He said: "It is an extremely vital service. Eating disorder illnesses are common and very serious and mainly affect young females.

"People die from these illnesses and there does need to be a degree of speciality to treat them.

"I accept the reality of the situation and that we have to work within the financial limits and that viability is a problem.

"But every effort will be made to ensure that the residents of Burnley, Pendle and Rossendale will retain a service.

"Urgent talks will take place with East Lancashire Health Authority to try to find a solution and I hope something can be sorted out."

The unit is paid to treat patients from Yorkshire, Greater Manchester, Merseyside and beyond but recently other health authorities have been urging their own NHS trusts to either open facilities or use private establishments.

Dr Launer also runs an eating disorder outpatient clinic at Brierfield Health Centre on Wednesdays which treats between 10 to 20 people a week.

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.