THE Shadow Minister for Health has welcomed news the Government is throwing a £20m financial lifeline to an NHS funding body struggling with massive debts.

But Eddisbury MP Stephen O'Brien, warned that 'bailing out' a few local healthcare trusts such as Cheshire West Primary Care Trust will not resolve the underlying difficulties in the NHS.

He asked whether the same lifeline will be afforded to other trusts across the country that are being forced to consider cuts to frontline NHS services.

Mr O'Brien said: 'It is clear that the Government is in a state of panic and is desperate to hold on to power at all costs now their incompetence in running the NHS has been exposed.

'This is potentially a humiliating U-turn for the Government.'