HEALTH Secretary Patricia Hewitt was under fire last night after blaming hospital managers for the NHS cash crisis - because they recruited too many doctors and nurses.

Her comments in London came just as staff at North Cheshire Hospital's NHS Trust - one of the most financially crippled in the region - was unveiling plans to scrap 300 jobs to help balance the books.

Ms Hewitt told MPs that trusts facing crippling financial deficits - which include three in Merseyside and Cheshire - had "employed more staff than they could afford".

Now, as redundancies mounted, staff were having to "bear the brunt" of difficult decisions necessary to balance the books, the Health Secretary added.

She told MPs: "The NHS has spent more of the growth money on additional staffing than was planned and has taken on significantly more hospital doctors and nurses."

"That's why some organisations are in financial difficulties."

Ms Hewitt's comments were immediately condemned as "a slap in the face" for staff who had been employed to meet the Government's own strict targets to cut waiting times.

Andrew Lansley, the Tory health spokesman, said: "In saying the NHS financial crisis has been caused by too many staff, Patricia Hewitt has sacrificed the jobs of doctors and nurses to save her own political skin."

And Liberal Democrat Sandra Gidley said: "The Health Secretary's comments are a slap in face for those staff who have helped achieve the Government's distorted priorities."

In evidence to the Health Select Committee, Ms Hewitt also hinted strongly she would resign if the NHS was not in the black by the end of the financial year, in March.

She said: "I have said we will return the NHS to financial balance by the end of the year and I take personal responsibility for that."

The pledge is a hostage to fortune because, two weeks ago, the NHS forecast a £94m deficit for March. Even Ms Hewitt said she was only "quite confident" of achieving it.

Those figures a fortnight ago revealed North Cheshire Hospitals trust - which runs the general hospitals in Warrington and Runcorn - is facing a £10.8m black hole by next March.

The 1,100 staff employed at North Cheshire Hospitals were told about the plans to cut jobs yesterday.

Chief Executive Catherine Beardshaw said: "This is about changing the way we work and changing the way services are delivered.

"I am optimistic this will actually improve our service to patients."

Significant deficits are also forecast for the 2006/7 financial year at Southport and Ormskirk trust (£5.6m) and Wirral (£3.4m).