HEALTH services in Worcestershire have spiralled £15.6m into the red.

New figures reveal the budget deficit at the acute hospitals alone is expected to be £7.3m by the end of this financial year.

South Worcestershire Primary Care Trust also expects a £5.05m overspend, with Redditch and Bromsgrove PCT is £2.4m in debt.

Wyre Forest PCT is £0.85m in the red - with only Worcester Mental Health Trust and Worcester and Hereford Ambulance Service balancing their books.

Only £2.2m of the overall debt is deficit inherited from last year.

MPs today warned health bosses may have to cut patient services to pay back the cash.

Mid-Worcestershire Tory MP Peter Luff said Health Secretary Alan Milburn might demand repayment within 12 months.

He blamed the deficit on a shortage of nursing staff - forcing up agency bills - and bad planning.

Worcestershire Royal Hospital anticipated Government cash which had not been forthcoming.

"They're now in a difficult position and would be right to ask for more time to put it right," he said. "But we're now in a position where my constituents could face significant cuts to services."

Worcester Labour MP Mike Foster said that, although some of the debt was inherited from the previous health authority, it had to be paid off somehow.

"The good news is a substantial increase in health spending from this April."

A Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust spokesman said efforts to reduce dependency on agency nurses were starting to pay off, "but it's difficult to find ways of meeting this shortfall".