MORE than £8million is to be sucked out of community NHS services in Burnley, Pendle and Rossendale to bail out cash-strapped hospitals, it has been revealed.

Some health schemes, including helping people with drug and alcohol problems, have had to be put on the backburner because of the cash demand.

However, much of the cash will remain in the county and go to help the debt-ridden East Lancashire Hospitals Trust.

The move was today condemned by critics who said the area's services should not suffer for the failings of hospital chiefs.

Burnley, Pendle and Rossendale NHS Primary Care Trust has been told to hand over £8.3million to be dished out to debt-ridden hospital trusts in Cumbria and Lancashire.

Bosses first budgeted to give away £6.7million but have now had to find a further £1.3million to hand over.

East Lancashire Hospitals NHS Trust has said it will need at least £11.7million from the fund also added to by other PCT's across CUmbria and Lancashire and have warned jobs may go if it is left empty handed.

Bosses have pledged to slash beds at Burnley General Hospital and close a surgery at Rossendale Hospital to save cash.

Derek Holmes, chairman of the Patient and Public Involvement Forum watchdog, which oversees the PCT, said: "Much of it has gone on inflated salaries and not patient care and for the PCT to have to subsidise that is taking away money that is better spent in community care."

The PCT's finance director, Chris Dixon, said: " A third of our new money is going out to helping pressures elsewhere in the NHS.

"We cannot be expected to contribute towards rectifying the difficulties of the NHS this way."

John Amos, vice chairman of the Patient and Public Involvement Forum for East Lancashire Hospitals NHS Trust said only preliminary discussions had taken place.

He said: "We're very concerned about this. We don't want to see any reduction in service and it's difficult to see how these economies can be made without impacting on the service."

Leader of the Liberal Democrats on Burnley Council, Coun Gordon Birtwistle, said: "It is ridiculous attacking the NHS like this.

"It is wrong that we can fund almost £8million a day for a war in Iraq but we can't spend that amount helping people in this country who are ill."

Leader of Pendle Council Coun Alan Davies said: "If one service is working right they ought not to be putting that service at risk to try and improve a situation that is bad elsewhere.

"We do not want to see the PCT in a similar situation as the hospitals trust."

And Duncan Ruddick leader of Rossendale Council said: "If this is true I'd be very disappointed."

The money will be given to Cumbria and Lancashire Strategic Health Authority, which oversees all NHS care in the two counties.

This "top sliced" cash will then be handed to health authorities which are short of cash.