JULIE Kirkbride, MP for Bromsgrove, has written to the Department of Health demanding an explanation as to why Worcestershire receives less money for health than comparable areas.

In the light of recent cuts being proposed to local hospital services, Miss Kirkbride wants to know why, for example, under new formulas introduced by the Government, neighbouring Solihull receives more money per head than residents in Worcestershire.

As such, Bromsgrove and Redditch residents receive £1,060 per head, residents of Solihull receive £49 more at £1,109 on weighted figures, (adjusted for deprivation and other factors) but a staggering £67 less on unweighted head count figures.

In short, out of 304 Primary Care Trusts in the country, Bromsgrove and Redditch is ranked at 230 on the weighted figures and 269th on pure headcount - with number 304 being the least well off.

The inexplicable differences in funding have been raised by a number of interested bodies since the proposed cuts were announced in local hospital services.

The Finnamore report commissioned by the Worcestershire Acute Hospitals Trust noted that Worcestershire 'spends less on healthcare than the national average and also less than peer shire communities.'

Local GPs from the Bromsgrove and Redditch General Practitioners Association have suggested that the 'true meaning of this seeming innocuous phrase is that our health services in Worcestershire have been the victim of longstanding underinvestment when compared to both UK averages and to similar communities.'

Miss Kirkbride is writing to ministers demanding an explanation of the fairness of the present funding formula. "Given the population of Worcestershire, every pound per head extra we secure makes a big difference to the hospital services we can afford," she said.

"We have lower salaries and lower population densities than many of the authorities which receive more in health funding per head and if we had our fair share we would not be faced with these cuts. I am demanding an explanation from ministers."