HEALTH chiefs say Worcestershire will be able to cope for the next 24 hours, despite the fuel crisis.

But the situation will become "extremely serious" from then on, Worcester MP Mike Foster said today.

The short-term reassurance comes after Health Secretary Alan Milburn put the NHS nationally on red alert, ordering all regions to have emergency plans in place for dealing with the shortages.

The red alert has prompted claims that the Department of Health has been exaggerating the crisis. Hospitals and the blood service have denied they are experiencing the severe problems claimed in official Press releases.

Mr Foster spoke to Harold Musgrove, chairman of Worcestershire Acute Hospitals Trust, last night.

"He reassured me that they would be able to cope for the next 24 hours, but after that, if nothing was done then the situation would be extremely serious," said the Labour MP.

"Thankfully, today we have seen the lifting of blockades close to Worcestershire. "It's clear the situation will get back to normal, but it won't be an overnight transformation. Health and social services and our schools could still face disruption until the petrol stations are back to normal."

Health chiefs were today hoping the deployment of Armed Forces' oil tankers across Britain in case they are needed in the fuel crisis will help ease its effects on the NHS.

"Those involved in this blockade need to know the very serious effect their actions are having on the NHS," said the Health Secretary.

"Patients are unable to get to hospital. Operations are being cancelled. Drugs, food and medical supplies are now running short.

"The NHS is increasingly unable to do its job properly."

But DoH claims in a Press release were immediately denied by the National Blood Service.

The department claimed that central blood stocks could only last for another four days and that there were problems with distributing supplies in some areas.

A spokeswoman for the service said: "We do have supplies for another four or five days but we are collecting new stocks all the time.

"There is no problem with distribution. This is scaremongering and it is causing unrest.

The Government has said that Hereford, Worcestershire, Shropshire and Staffordshire had already declared the crisis a "major incident" and that food supplies were now running short in some hospitals.