HEALTH watchdogs are to carry out an urgent investigation into the funding of Fairfield General Hospital following the closure of a psychiatric ward.

Some patients had to be sent home as cash-strapped hospital bosses were forced to close Ward 31 to balance the books.

News of the closure came only a month after a senior hospital consultant, Dr Mike Finnegan, warned that patient care at the hospital in Rochdale Old Road was on the brink of collapse.

Now Bury's Community Health Council (CHC) is to examine the hospital's finances to discover how bad the funding crisis in the local health service is.

The decision to close the 24-bed ward and discharge some of those undergoing treatment was made by the newly-formed Pennine Care NHS Trust, which encompassed Bury Healthcare Trust with other trusts in the Greater Manchester area.

Chief officer of Bury CHC, Mr Paul Reynolds said: "The Pennine Trust was supposed to be the vehicle to improve services. If this is not happening then it should be dismerged and we should have our services back."

Acting chairman of the latest meeting of the council, Mr Ian Walsh said: "It frightens the public when someone of Mr Finnegan's standing speaks out. He is well respected and people take his word as law."

Members of the body agreed to draw up a financial model illustrating Fairfield General's share of the cash distributed by the Pennine Care NHS Trust and the Pennine Acute Hospital NHS Trust. Members of Bury CHC said action taken against the trusts would depend on the results of the investigation.

Mr Reynolds said he would also write to the Secretary of State over CHC's concerns about the ward closure.

He said: "Bury has never shown the slightest interest in mental health services. The former Bury Healthcare NHS Trust probably spent less on mental health services than any other trust in the whole of the North West. If this income is reduced further then it will be a disaster."

Mr Reynolds added: "If we do not create a fuss then this ward will stay closed."

A spokesman from the Pennine Care NHS Trust said the ward would be closed until March, and that the closure was part of a "recovery plan being developed by hospital management in order to deliver a balanced budget."