THE new organisation in charge of healthcare in Worcestershire will start its life with more than £10m worth of inherited debt.

The huge figure is the combined deficits of the three county primary care trusts - South Worcestershire, Redditch and Bromsgrove and Wyre Forest - which are merging to form a single PCT on October 1.

Paul Bates, the transitional chief executive of the single Worcestershire PCT who will be trying to ensure a smooth handover from the current PCTs, has now warned patients more tough decisions are ahead.

Much of the debt was accumulated after the PCTs - which oversee the GP service - had a chunk of their budgets 'top-sliced' to pay off national NHS debts.

In South Worcestershire, this resulted in a series of controversial cuts proposed - including shutting the area's only bedded cancer unit at Evesham Community Hospital - but these have been scrapped as the savings of £400,000 were not enough to make the exercise worthwhile.

Mr Bates, who is also acting chief executive of South Worcestershire PCT, said: "Every PCT is still going to have to look at every single measure to reduce expenditure as we don't want the figure to rise to £13m or £14m."

Mr Bates added that there were three things to focus on between now and October.

He said: "First we have to focus on not getting worse off. Second, make every effort to make the deficit less, and third, to see if we can get some money back."

The new chairman and chief executive of the Worcestershire PCT are expected to be announced on Monday, August 7.