HEALTH chiefs in Derwentside are examining their budgets after forecasts of a £207,000 overspend this year.
Derwentside Primary Care Trust hopes to balance the books by April by cutting all non-essential costs.
Director of finance and commissioning Ian Williamson said the cutbacks would not affect patient care.
He said: "Managers are being advised to take a frugal approach.
"We are talking about non-staff costs such as printing and stationery.
"We are asking whether we would need to buy things now or whether we can wait until the next financial year.
"We are asking managers to hold off for a month or two before taking on extra secretarial staff and finance staff, not district nurses or front-line staff."
Mr Williamson said the overspend had come about because of an increase in the number of emergency admissions to hospitals.
He said: "It is a cost we cannot control, because if someone needs an emergency admission to hospital, we need to pay for it."
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