THE bulk of controversial hospital bed cuts will be completed by the end of August, The Lancashire Evening Telegraph can reveal.

About 180 in-patient hospital beds will be axed by then to save cash, health chiefs have confirmed.

The beds, about 15 per cent of all those in East Lancashire's major hospitals, are part of a year-long cutback of 267 beds.

And in the last week staff have been told 350 surgery beds are to be looked as part of the bed reduction programme, which will save £2.5 million.

East Lancashire Hospitals NHS Trust's chief operating officer, Dena Marhsall, said the savings "need to happen early in the new financial year in order for financial savings to be realised".

But critics said patient care was bound to suffer under the cuts.

Miss Marshall, who has been asked to spend all her time looking for savings, said: "Approximately 180 of the 267 bed reductions are planned to take place by July/August 2006. I would emphasise that these reductions are about working more efficiently, particularly by taking actions that allow us to reduce the length of hospital stay we are not reducing the number of patients we treat or compromising patient care in any way.

"We are in the process of consulting with staff and patient/public representatives on all the changes we are making as part of our work to move to a position where the Trust is living within its means." But Mollie Manthorpe, chairman of the Patient and Public Involvement Forum watchdog, said: "Already there are people who are saying that they were brought out of hospital too early and had to go back.

"How can they have less beds when this is happening already? How can it not affect waiting lists? I am very concerned."

Caroline Collins, Lancashire spokeswoman for the Royal College of Nursing union, said fewer beds would mean "earlier discharges with frequent readmissions".This would place extra demand on relatives to care for sick family members and an "intolerable" strain on NHS and social care services outside of hospital.

While the Trust had done some "excellent" work to cut stays and the union supported letting people go home once they were fit Mrs Collins warned: "The fact is the timescale is set around the financial objectives, rather than patient need."

Chris Simms, divisional director for surgery at the Trust, added: "I understand the concerns of staff and patients during this challenging period.

"But I am confident that by working together we can deliver the required efficiency savings and maintain high quality services for patients."

The Trust is facing a massive £23.3 million black hole this financial year.

The bed cuts will save £2.5 million but bosses said they will not be able to find £11.7 million in savings, and jobs may have to go.