South West Surrey MP Jeremy Hunt this week warned that Surrey County Council may have to cut social care because of the impact of NHS deficits and subsequent hospital closures. Mr Hunt expressed his concern following the publication of a new report from the NHS Confederation and the Local Government Association.In the nationwide survey, seven of out ten local authorities are withdrawing services because of cuts in spending from NHS Trusts. Many NHS organisations have stopped funding joint projects and referred patients on to social services which would normally be dealt with by hospitals. In turn, councils are being forced to reduce provision for low-level care needs, increase waiting times and cut funding from other budgets like leisure or transport. Jeremy is worried that the national picture could soon be echoed in Surrey given the planned closure of Milford Hosptial and the threat to the Royal Surrey.As of June 2006 Guildford and Waverley Primary Care Trust was £2,037,000 in deficit. Jeremy said: “Despite the hard work of public sector workers, financial mismanagement by Ministers in Whitehall is leading to major cuts in frontline services. “Across the country, local hospitals are having to sack staff, cancel operations and some in our area are even on the verge of closure because their budgets are in the red. The closure of Milford and other beds at Cranleigh is a prime example of this.”Jeremy believes these NHS cuts could hit Surrey County Council, since health and social services are so closely linked. He fears elderly and vulnerable people could suffer as hospitals cut care provision, and councils do not have the funds to cope.He said: “We have all been aware of this Government’s squeeze on council budgets, but to expect council tax payers to bail out the NHS is unfair. It is a clear example of botched reorganisations, inconsistent policies and now cutbacks and closures which we all in South West Surrey will fight all the way.”