HALTON hospital is being purposely run down by its managing NHS Trust to ease £5m debts, according to an insider. Wards lie empty and medical staff watch TV while patients are re-directed to an over-stretched Warrington Hospital, it is claimed. The insider, whose identity is being protected, claims wards are empty at night because ambulances are diverted to Warrington unless the patient is referred by a GP. 'Staff are waiting to treat patients, but if someone in Runcorn has a heart attack and calls 999, the ambulance will drive straight to Warrington - the patient could die on the way,' he said. The source said patients who arrive at the hospital out of hours are sent to Warrington, with the hospital sometimes paying the taxi fare - something the Trust denies. Meanwhile, staff must ring 999 for patients with more serious complaints, because there is no direct line to the ambulance service. An North Cheshire Hospitals NHS Trust spokeswoman insisted the ambulance diversion ensured beds were always available for patients and heart attack victims can be treated in Runcorn, if a bed is available. She said a 2002 inspection said too many emergency cases had been taken to Halton. But hospital staff fear the Trust is trying to manipulate the figures to justify staff cutbacks. The source said two major surgical wards, B3 and B4, are scheduled to become daycare wards. This would threaten the future of major operations in Runcorn. The hospital spokeswoman admitted the future of the surgical wards were undecided. The hospital source also said many other services, once a staple part of provisions at Halton General, are slowly being palmed off to other hospitals, including gynaecology. The source said: 'All the hospital staff have been told in no uncertain terms to keep their mouths shut about what's going on, and that their jobs are on the line if they start talking. But I'm speaking out because I've got friends and family in the town. 'People in Runcorn must wake up to this situation. How are you going to feel if one of your loved ones dies on the way to Warrington when they could have been treated here in Runcorn?' | 
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