A GROUP of MPs is bidding to meet Worcestershire health chiefs and the Government for showdown talks over the crisis facing the county's hospitals.

Wyre Forest's representative Dr Richard Taylor and colleagues from neighbouring constituencies agreed to demand meetings with strategic health authority bosses, representatives from Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust, the Local Medical Committee and Government ministers.

They have been sparked into action by financial problems flagged up by an audit report and a survey by the Commission for Health Improvement.

It was also revealed this week the hospitals trust has had to beg for a £7.5 million short-term loan to pay staff wages.

Rumours had been circulating among staff at Kidderminster, Worcester and Redditch that they would not be paid this month.

Now Dr Taylor, Mid Worcestershire MP Peter Luff, West Worcestershire's Michael Spicer, Bill Wiggin (Leominster), Matthew Green (Ludlow), Jacqui Smith (Redditch) and Sir Patrick Cormack, of South Staffordshire, want talks.

Dr Taylor said the hospitals trust is in an "appalling state".

Trust spokesman Richard Haynes said the number of expensive agency nurses has now been cut, which should make a "big difference" to finances.

He also emphasised there was never any danger of staff not being paid.

Trust finance director Paul Taylor told his board all services would need to be looked at to find ways of making crucial savings at a meeting last week.

He said costs must be reduced to prevent patients and health service purchasers going elsewhere, with a £9 million saving needing to be made in the next financial year.

Detailed plans will be discussed by the trust's finance committee tomorrow.

Meanwhile, a non-executive trust director has hit out at Worcestershire Royal Hospital for being an "absolute disaster area" for car parking.

However, Chris Nicholls, also a Wyre Forest district councillor, went on to blame a high level of sickness absence among county hospital staff on negative media coverage at a board meeting.

Dr Taylor dismisses the claim in his Shuttle/ Times & News column on Page 16.