NHS cuts 'hit social services'

The man in charge of social services in Wiltshire is leaving his job, blaming the county's NHS funding crisis.

Dr Ray Jones will leave his post at Wiltshire County Council after 14 years as director of social services claiming the job will be too difficult.

Earlier this month, two primary care trusts (PCTs) gave 12 hours notice they were withdrawing £3m from a joint fund.

A council spokesman said the authority was looking at how to manage the funding shortfall.

West Wiltshire and Kennet & North Wiltshire PCTs are almost £20m in debt.

'Financial difficulties'

They are jointly planning to close seven community hospitals and axe 85 administration and management posts.

Dr Jones said in a statement that the current cash situation would make for tough times ahead.

"The council and I agree that I would find it very difficult now to be taking the actions to tackle the financial difficulties which are arising.

"My agreed retirement from the county council reflects the very difficult actions which will be necessary over the coming months to tackle the funding problems.

"We have tackled financial problems together before, but what is exceptional this time is the scale of the difficulties and the significant and unplanned for costs being passed to the council by the NHS."

The county council has now begun the process of finding a replacement director.

'Reduced budget'

A spokesman said the withdrawal of funding would not hit services they had a duty to supply, but could hit other areas of the council's operation.

"We will end up with a reduced budget. We are looking at how to best manage it, but we are looking as an organisation at how those finances are managed.

"The funding wouldn't be picked up by social services because we have a duty to provide certain services, so cuts might come elsewhere.

"We have to prioritise services and provide those where we have a legal duty to do so."

Hospital trusts across the UK have announced more than 7,000 job cuts in recent weeks because of budget deficits.