THE pay-off to sacked Burnley Health Trust boss Maggie Aikman is costing 31 vital hospital beds at Rossendale General, it was claimed in the Commons last night.

Labour MP Janet Anderson blamed the amazing bust-up between Mrs Aikman and then Trust chairman James Rawson from the bombshell decision to slash provision at the hospital last week.

The Rossendale and Darwen MP mounted a bitter attack on the Burnley Trust for seeking to cut 31 beds, mothball a ward and cut 60-70 staff, mainly nurses.

She said that the proposal would force elderly women to "endure the indignity of mixed wards."

She said: "Many patients, especially the elderly, do not want to be forced into mixed wards and I am deeply saddened that that will happen to my constituents to save money."

She said it was totally wrong to cut 31 beds when people were being turned away from the hospital because of lack of places.

Mrs Anderson told Health Minister, Gerald Malone, during last night's NHS debate: "If the proposals are not the way forward for my constituents, hospital staff and patients, why should it be the way forward for the trust?

"Chief Executive, David Chew, made it plain last week that the decision was to do with cash, not patient care and claimed that it would save the Trust £200,000 a year.

"I wonder why the Trust seeks to save that sum of money. "Just over a year ago Burnley MP Peter Pike secured an adjournment debate on the state of chaos in the Burnley Health Care NHS Trust.

"He read out a headline from the Lancashire Evening Telegraph: 'Scapegoat' "Health Chairman asked be to resign to save his own neck".

"'The chairman and chief executive of the troubled Burnley Health Care Trust each call for the other's resignation today in an astonishing bust-up.'

"We learned from the ministers winding up speech in that debate that, because the chief executive had fallen out with the chairman and wanted rid of her, the pay-off was no less than £245,000, which is the sum that the Trust seeks to save today."

Mr Malone said the proposals were based on the recommendations of the working party composed of health professionals and consultants which have been discussed with the Community Health Council and the staff.

He went on to say: "I am sad to say that the chief executive at the hospital has been trying , I understand unsuccessfully, to discuss the plans with Mrs Anderson. I will write to him tomorrow to tell him of the concerns that she has expressed.

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