COST-CUTTING proposals for health care in Worcestershire have been attacked as ill-considered by the county council.

Its ruling cabinet was due to meet last night and was being asked to reject plans for reform put forward by South Worcestershire Primary Care Trust.

The PCT had submitted plans to transfer some of its services to the council to help reduce a £5.7 million budget deficit. They included ditching some services, such as a Malvern sexual health clinic, and transferring others, including occupational health visitors, to the council's social services department. Also included was the proposal that social services should take over the funding of GP-attached social worker posts.

The council would need to find an extra £507,000 to fund the plans.

In a report to last night's meeting, head of health and social care Eddie Clarke condemned the PCT's plans as "ill-considered, piecemeal and poorly thought through".

The document criticised the public consultation undertaken by the PCT, saying it failed to meet Department of Health guidelines. It added that the onset of the local elections may have compromised some of the responses.

It also warned that the withdrawal of the services outlined in the PCT's proposals "will result in an increase in referrals at an earlier stage to other professionals such as GPs and social services".

"The cessation of crucial services such as GP-attached social workers and community occupational therapy will result in delays in assessments, delays in providing care packages, larger numbers of admissions to hospitals and long-term care, and delays in hospital discharge arrangements," it added.

The report recommended the council reject the proposals and sit down with the PCT to find alternative options. PCT spokesman Janet Ferguson said a response would be considered PCT's meeting on June 4.