HEALTH bosses today revealed they have a £3.5 million gap in their budget after a huge increase in emergency admissions.

Care chiefs blamed the deficit on the amount of time which they had been forced to use and pay for private hospitals because of the rise.

Emergency admissions in East Lancashire normally take up three per cent of total admissions but in Burnley General this year they have formed around 15 per cent.

Spokesman for the trust Angela Brown said: "We have treated record levels of patients this year without any additional resources and we have employed more doctors and nurses which has had a significant impact on our budget plans."

Earlier this year director of operations Val Smith admitted Burnley Health Care Trust was buying in 30 per cent more theatre time in private hospitals than they would expect to at this time of year in an effort to maintain Government waiting list targets -- a move which would lead to an overspend.

All department heads in the trust have now been told to tighten their belts for the rest of the year in a bid to decrease the deficit.

And as part of attempts to balance the books health bosses are to review staff car parking charges at Burnley General Hospital.

The review is planned to address a shortfall of £15,000 in this year's income from the hospital car parks.

Recommendations that the current charges for visitors at the Pay and Display car parks at Burnley General Hospital are increased from 70p for 24 hours or £3.50 for a weekly permit were put forward at a trust board meeting yesterday.

The new charges, which will take effect from November 8 will be: £1 for 0-3 hours, £1.50 for 3-8 hours, £2 for 8-24 hours and £5 for a weekly permit.

Charges for staff will be reviewed after the trust publishes a Travel Plan aimed at discouraging car use by hospital workers. Initiatives include a car sharing scheme and improving public transport links.

Earlier this month hospital chiefs in Blackburn faced a mutiny over plans to increase staff car parking charges.

About 1,500 workers at Queen's Park and Blackburn Royal Infirmary wrote to managers complaining at a 17 per cent rise to £1.52 a week.

Earlier this year health bosses at Burnley Pendle and Rossendale Primary Care Trust revealed they were facing a £1.5m budget deficit.

The trust, which is responsible for GPs and community nurses, has revealed an overspend of £728,000 so far this year. If spending continues in the same way, a deficit of £1.5m is forecast.

The trust is considering a number of options to avoid the £1.5m budget loss, including the sale of capital assets and applying for extra money from the Treasury.