HOSPITAL bosses have admitted that a time and motion review has taken place that could lead to reduced operating theatre staffing.

Officials at the County Durham and Darlington Acute Hospitals NHS Trust confirmed the review has taken place after information was passed to The Northern Echo. Trust bosses said no decision had been taken and that patient care and safety would not be compromised.

Yesterday, the Royal College of Nursing (RCN) released national figures that showed patient services were being cut back as hospital trusts try to avoid an expected £1.2bn overspend.

The trust, which runs Darlington Memorial Hospital, Bishop Auckland General Hospital and the University Hospital of North Durham, in Durham, said it was trying to reduce costs.

The trust is rated as slightly less efficient than the national average, which could affect the trust once a new system of payment by results is introduced this year.

Sources suggested that more than 40 operating theatre staff, mostly nurses, could be asked to work elsewhere in the trust as a result.

The report is said to be ready, but no decision has been made on its findings.

Trust spokesman Martin Hutchinson said: "We know we are not as efficient as we need to be, compared with other trusts, and that is why we have commissioned this review of the way we use our operating theatres. No final conclusions have been reached, but our staff have been working with us on this issue, and they will be the first to know. However, it is grossly irresponsible to suggest that patients will be put at risk or that waiting times for operations could get longer."

A source, who asked to remain anonymous, said: "Many theatres are functioning on a bare minimum as it is. This will surely cause serious delays for patients."