South West NHS in the red

Bath's Royal United Hospital is already over budget

Patients seeking NHS treatment in the South West could find spending on some services has been frozen.

Cutbacks in non-essential services are part of a package of measures designed to fill the £100m overspend by local NHS organisations.

In west Gloucestershire prescription practices could be standardised to cut expenditure.

The Strategic Health Authority has said the NHS must put its house in order, and shelve all new expenditure not linked to national priorities for two years.

Our role is to help and guide the NHS

Health Authority spokesperson

The NHS may also face a boost in borrowing and grants, contingent on following the authority's advice, as it heads for overspend by the end of this financial year.

The newly-formed Avon, Gloucestershire and Wiltshire Strategic Health Authority said the local NHS must live within its means.

Chief executive Mark Outhwaite said there was no magic bullet or neat solutions to the problem.

"Any solution will be a combination of the review... of existing services, limiting new investments, savings and improved productivity."

But the possibility of a reduction in services has alarmed some health professionals.

Community health councillor Sue Hope of the South Gloucestershire Primary Care Trust said: "I would be very concerned about the possibility of any real cuts in services."

Even before the authority's announcement, warning bells were ringing in Bath.

'Helpful guide'

The Royal United Hospital recently announced it was facing an overspend of £17m. It then spent a further £9m - mainly on meeting government targets.

The role of the 28 Strategic Health Authorities in the UK is to monitor the performance of the rest of the NHS, and provide a link with government.

A health authority spokesperson said: "We work with the NHS when it is not performing at the expected level.

"There is a planning framework in place over the next three years.

"Our role is to help and guide the NHS through the process."