FUNDS at East Lancashire’s NHS Trusts are more than £5million in surplus at the half-way point in the financial year.

The news comes as the number of NHS trusts in debt in England has more than doubled in a year — although overall the health service finished 2011-12 in surplus.

Jonathan Wood, director of finance at the East Lancashire Hospitals NHS Trust, said: “We currently have a surplus of £2.1million, which is £100,000 above planning for this point in the year.

“We are looking to deliver a year-end surplus of £4million, which will be put back into the running of the Trust.”

Lancashire Care NHS Foundation trust runs community services, such as podiatry and speech therapy, as well as mental health provision.

A spokesman for Lancashire Care said: “The Trust, as with the rest of the NHS, is facing difficult times, but is not itself in financial crisis.

“We consider ourselves to be managing our finances effectively and have made a surplus of £2.5m for the six-month period to September 30.

“We currently expect to achieve, or better, our planned surplus of £4.1m for the year.”

David Young, chief executive of Calderstones Partnership NHS Trust, which provides hospital care in Whalley for people with learning disabilities, said surplus was currently £688,000, and the target for year-end was £720,000.

He said: “Halfway through the financial year, Calderstones Partnership NHS Foundation Trust has a surplus and expects to sustain this position through the rest of the year.”

The Audit Commission said nationally 31 trusts posted a deficit — more than one in 10 of the hospital, mental health and community trusts in the NHS. The figure is up from 13 the year before.

However, overall the health service posted a £2bn surplus — about two per cent of its budget.