CONTROVERSIAL cuts to East Lancashire's hospitals will help bosses cut back on hiring 68 extra doctors, it has been revealed.

Taking key services away from the area's two main hospitals will allow chiefs to side-step tough new EU employment laws.

The incoming European Working Time Directive states by 2009 doctors' hours must fall from 56 to 48 hours a week.

At the moment this would demand an extra 68 doctors for East Lancashire Hospitals NHS Trust, about an extra 10 per cent on current staffing levels.

But because departments are shifting between Blackburn and Burnley, health bosses predict fewer extra doctors will be needed.

They hope the sweeping changes will reduce the need for extra staff by swelling rotas that are thinly spread at present.

Proposed changes include sending blue light ambulances to Blackburn only and having key women's and children's services on one site.

And thousands of people who presently go to Blackburn hospitals for pre-booked surgery will have to go to Burnley.

Not employing the extra doctors will save the cash-strapped authority more than £7million and cut out the often difficult task of finding doctors to recruit.

Melanie Walters, the authority's head of service improvement, said: "If services continued to be provided across sites as they are now the Trust would need to employ a further 68 doctors to meet the target hours."

This would require an extra two doctors on 34 rotas, she said. Present rotas require eight doctors.

She said the controversial review which is out to public consultation until July 10 would allow "increased efficiency across the speciality rotas".

But critics today hit out at the decision not to employ the extra staff.

Coun Tony Humphrys, chairman of Blackburn with Darwen Council's health scrutiny committee said: "They should employ the doctors. We have doctors saying they can't get jobs and are going abroad to find work and we are saying we have to cut down on the health service to save money. It beggars belief.

"It concerns me because at what point do doctors agree these are their final agreed hours? What's not to say they won't want them reduced again? There is then no slack in the system. If the back up isn't there what do you do? You close services down."

Leader of Burnley Council, Coun Gordon Birtwistle, said: "If it is going to cost that much then so be it. But how can healthcare improve when you have less staff and less facilities?"

John Amos, vice chairman of the Patient and Public Involvement Forum which oversees the Trust, said: "The problem is that the doctors wouldn't be available.

"The whole country has got in a hell of a muddle. We depend on overseas doctors from countries which need them more. It is a national disgrace."

The Trust employs about 600 medical staff. It has overspent by millions since it was formed in 2003 and has said it will be short by £23.3 million in the next 10 months.

Jobs could go if this gap cannot be plugged, bosses have warned.