BUDGET cuts of almost £8million were due to be considered by Bolton's Primary Care Trust today.

The authority, which has a turnover of more than £250million, was meeting to discuss its budget for next year which includes a recovery plan.

But it faces some tough decisions as it already has cash problems after inheriting £4.6m worth of debts from the old Wigan and Bolton Health Authority.

Although the Trust says it will have enough money, £23.2 million to cover planned expenditure, it still faces making savings and reductions in staffing levels including a target figure of £150,000 from the management budget.

Last year the Trust had not been able to meet its budget targets with huge overspending in some sectors. Staffing has also been a issue with some vacancies having to be filled with expensive bank and agency staff.

Other areas of concern include "out of area" treatment for patients, mainly in the high cost of mental health and learning disability placements in the private sector.

Another overspend was in pharmaceutical costs where despite an increase of £8million on the budget, it had continued to cause major financial pressure.

Trust managers have pledged to reduce the effects on local people and they hope this action will put the Trust on a firmer footing for the future.

In a report to the meeting, the Trust says it wants to be open and transparent about the difficulties it faces.

It added: "The Trust can meet its statutory financial duties provided we deliver the savings identified in the recovery plan.

"The complex nature of a health care organisation with a £250m turnover with several hundred service providers in addition to the in-house service provision meant that the budget proposals are unlikely to be straightforward or readily digestible."

The budget cuts come less than a month after urgent cost cutting measures were introduced at the Royal Bolton Hospital in a bid to save £300,000 by the end of March. The measures were brought in to try and limit debts at the end of the financial year to £3.2million.