Two services that could ease winter pressures on accident and emergency at an acute trust in the West Midlands are under threat from a funding row.

The future of the primary care urgent care unit and ward 21 at University Hospital of North Staffordshire Trust are being reviewed after the trust overspent on the services by £20m.

The GP staffed unit, based in A&E, was set up two years ago to help prevent unnecessary admissions. Ward 21 opened in April this year to ease the pressure on A&E by taking direct referrals from GPs and elderly patients from emergency care.

A spokesperson for NHS North Staffordshire, one of the two primary care trusts that provide funding for the service, said the future of the unit was already due for review and trust and PCT chief executives were meeting tomorrow. The meeting between the acute trust, NHS North Staffordshire and NHS Stoke on Trent will be mediated by two directors from the West Midlands strategic health authority.

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