COUNTY councillors have expressed serious concerns regarding the future of East Lancashire's special care baby unit amid plans to strip around £572million from health and social care spending over the next four years.

County Cllrs Azhar Ali and Tony Martin have slammed the government's reform agenda, as Lancashire and South Cumbria embark on a sustainability and transformation programme (STP), and expressed frustration at a lack of detail regarding the reorganisation of major services.

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They fear the neo-natal intensive care unit (NICU) at Burnley General Hospital, part of the Lancashire Women and Newborns Centre which also serves Blackburn with Darwen, Hyndburn, Pendle, Ribble Valley and Rossendale, is under threat as major savings take hold before 2020.

But hospital bosses insist they are unaware of any direct threat to the unit and NHS transformation chiefs are adamant such significant cuts are not currently on the horizon.

The county councillors claim only one top level neo-natal unit would be required for the region and the Royal Preston Hospital's would be favourite to remain.

County Cllr Ali, the cabinet member for health and wellbeing, said: "We have a flagship newborns centre that provides a brilliant service across East Lancashire.

"These cuts put the neo-natal intensive care unit, which is only one of two in Lancashire, at serious risk of closure. We will fight to save it."

County Cllr Martin, cabinet member for adult and community services, said: "The baby care unit is a key part of Burnley's maternity service.

"Its loss would be a severe blow and would put the whole maternity service locally in jeopardy."

Last week County Cllr Ali secured support for a motion at Lancashire County Council's main meeting, demanding more details on the STP to be published.

Healthier Lancashire and South Cumbria (HLSC) officials said health spending will increase by 11.4 per cent, or £345million over four years, as the reorganisation takes place and there are no plans to make cuts to services.

Dr Amanda Doyle, HLSC chief officer, said: "The problem we have is that demand for services is rising much faster than our resources."

An area-wide review has begun for acute and specialised services, it has been confirmed, but no conclusions have been reached.

Vanessa Wilson, divisional general manager for family care at East Lancashire Hospitals NHS Trust, said: "The trust has no plans to close the NICU at Burnley General Teaching Hospital, which is a level three provider of neonatal care across the Lancashire and South Cumbria network."