A MAJOR upgrade to Haslingden Health Centre looks set to be the first victim of £6million NHS cuts in East Lancashire.

NHS East Lancashire chief executive Steve Spoerry has ordered directors and managers to justify all spending after a £5.9million gap was identified in the former primary care trust’s savings programme.

Work had been due to start earlier this year on £350,000 improvements at Haslingden but the scheme had been delayed.

Now Mr Spoerry is looking to freeze planned spending on all capital and revenue projects until the budget black hole is filled.

This could also have an impact on maintenance schemes due to start at Clitheroe Hospital and Colne Health Centre.

Health bosses had already called a halt to a £15million overhaul at Clitheroe, the relocation of Colne’s Market Street facility to the former Kwik Save site in Craddock Road and a revamp for Great Harwood medical centre.

Mr Spoerry said: “I would like to make the point, over the summer months, that we need to get serious about this.”

Non-executive director John Wilkinson said that attempts had been made to persuade managers to adopt more efficient working methods.

He added: “Unfortunately we now need to follow that up with a more traditional method, to make sure that we make the necessary savings.”

Under the spending crackdown, all managers will need to justify new spending plans with one of the trust’s executive directors.

Mr Spoerry is also targetting any other ‘non-essential spending’ including attendance at external conferences and events.

Finance director Chris Dixon said hospital trusts had already been asked to make considerable savings in recent years, and this was now affecting primary care trusts to a greater extent.

An announcement over capital and revenue schemes definitely affected will be published when the trust’s board meets in July.