HEALTH services in Bromsgrove may be burdened with debt from other areas under management restructuring plans, health watchdogs fear.

All the non-acute hospital services in Worcestershire are being reorganised to manage their own funds but at its meeting on Wednesday, Bromsgrove and Redditch Community Health Council objected that the proposals may leave them paying for others' debts.

Nearby Wyre Forest will be among the first of the new independently-funded Primary Care Trusts, and in its plans said it did not expect to inherit a deficit.

The current deficits of Wyre Forest would then have to be shared across the rest of the county, including Bromsgrove.

Council chairman the Rev Andrew Smith said: "We don't want whatever part of the county is last to become a health trust to get all the deficit."

The health watchdog was also concerned the new trusts should provide real improvements in non-emergency medicine.

Mr Smith said: "We wait to be convinced how primary health trusts will deliver better services.

"We are aware it is Government policy, and accept it in principle, but we must ensure there will be noticeable management savings."

The council warned that mental health services in the county might be left isolated, which could make them less financially stable and viable.

Worcestershire Health Authority's finance director Mike Ridley said it was going to ensure equity across the county.