MAINTAINING a full range of services at Whipps Cross University Hospital is likely to be one of the preferred options put out to public consultation, it has been claimed.

A source told the Guardian that health trusts will be asked to agree on putting forward option four under the Fit for the Future review, which will see Whipps Cross maintained as a district general hospital, and option two, which will see it downgraded to an accident and emergency centre, as the preferred models for delivering services in north east London.

A spokeswoman for Fit for the Future would not confirm this, but said an announcement will be made shortly.

Although the highest ranking options will be put to trust boards soon, their decision will be subject to the completion of further work on proposed changes to mental health services, funding arrangements between hea-lth and social care and a rev-iew of trusts' recovery plans.

The full public consultation was originally due to start this month but the timetable slipped when Fit for the Future bosses dem-anded more financial data following first-phase stakeholder meetings last year.

The option to preserve services at Whipps Cross, which has been supported by a mass campaign by residents, health workers and councillors, initially emerged with the highest score.

Despite fears that further financial considerations may undermine the case to preserve services at Whipps Cross, which is currently tackling a projected deficit of about £30m, the hospital appears to have maintained its strong position.

The fact that attempts by Whipps Cross Hospital to balance the books remain under constant review emphasises the need for its turnaround plan to succeed.

In a recent letter from NHS London boss Ruth Carnall to the hospital's chief executive Lucy Moore, she wrote: "Your current long term plan does not enable you to achieve your break even duty over a five year period. Further-more, the savings target for next year will be challenging.

"You will need to sustain the programmes that you have introduced this year and identify and deliver significant further tranches of savings. Any costs associated with new schemes will have to be met and effectively added to you savings plans."

"In particular it is important that you have a more robust approach and remain focussed on the task in hand by generating and delivering savings plans," she added.