Tobias Ellwood has been called in to help resolve a dispute over £4.9m, owed by Bournemouth's Primary Care Trust (PCT) to Bournemouth Hospital.

It transpires that Dorset PCTs have been asked to hand back over £22m to the Department of Health which has led to treatment and operations being carried out but not paid for.

Tobias has written to Health Secretary, Patricia Hewitt MP, for an immediate explanation and to ask why funding allocated to Dorset is being clawed back, presumably to be distributed to other parts of the country.

Tobias said:

"It is clear that Bournemouth Hospital has done its best to resolve this issue with the PCT and the Strategic Health Authority. But as no progress has been made, it is now forced to consider legal proceedings, which will cost the Health Service around £600,000. This cannot be in the interests of the patient.

The Health Secretary said last week that 'the NHS cash crisis won't hit patients', but if our local PCT is unable to pay for operations we cannot be surprised when our hospital stops receiving admissions. Dorset is one of the best run but worst funded Health Authorities in the country. Patients' care should not be put at risk with local budgets cut by stealth."