Cuts to services at Ashford Hospital will take place two years earlier than anticipated, according to a review of the trust's financial situation.

Ashford and St Peter's Hospitals NHS Trust is projecting a £3.61million deficit for this year, however, the trust is working to minimise any deficit, including bringing forward plans to cut its services.

The concern is a result of the deepening financial crisis at the trust, which had NHS Bank support of £13m for 2004/05, £4m less than the previous year but is unsure of what level of support might be available for the next two years.

At the trust's board meeting last week, a report by the chief executive revealed the financial situation is the key reason for its reconfiguration plans to begin next August.

The plans include an Urgent Treatment Centre (UTC) for Ashford Hospital, which will be manned by nurses from 7am to 10pm and which would provide overnight access to GPs, with emergency medical admissions moving to St Peter's.

The majority of planned orthopaedic joint replacement surgery and day surgery will be concentrated at Ashford, while children's day surgery, and all other planned surgical inpatient procedures will be at St Peter's.

And services for patients recovering from periods of acute hospital care will be moved from St Peter's to Ashford.

Responding to the report, David Wilshire, Spelthorne's MP, said: "Residents have already had to come to terms with further cuts at their local hospital. Now they face having to use a hospital that is not ready for them. This is nothing short of a scandal.

"We are almost certain to be facing increasing waiting lists, patients forced to use St Peter's Hospital before the extra facilities are available and possibly even more cuts at Ashford Hospital.

Mr Wilshire has already tabled questions in the House of Commons and now plans to ask the Speaker to grant him an emergency debate to demand that Spelthorne's health services are funded properly.

A spokesman for the trust said: "The changes proposed under the reconfiguration will only affect 10 per cent of patients who currently attend Ashford Hospital.

"With the advent of the Choose and Book programme by December 2005, every patient will have a choice of four or five hospitals in their area."