AYRSHIRE’S most senior health boss has spoken of his concerns over the NHS’s finances.

Just a week after the Herald revealed Crosshouse Hospital would be scrapping 89 beds to save cash, NHS Ayrshire and Arran Chief Executive John Burns spoke out about his fears over the cash-strapped service.

During a session of the Scottish Parliament’s Health and Sport committee, Mr Burns told MSPs that NHS Ayrshire and Arran is unlikely to begin paying back the £23million loan it received form the Scottish Government until 2021.

The service received the loan in 2017/18 when it became clear it was facing a significant shortfall in its funding for the financial year.

Mr Burns also said that the health board would likely need an additional £20 million loan before the end of 2018/19, blaming a spike in A&E admissions and having to pay for more expensive locum doctors.

Mr Burns told the committee that: “In 2016/17, we started to see some pressures in our system in relation to increasing demand for unscheduled care and we also started to see increasing difficulty in recruiting to some of our key medical posts. Those two elements demonstrated pressure in our system.”

Mr Burns’ comments come just a week after it was revealed that Crosshouse Hospital would be getting rid of 89 beds over the coming months as they try to claw back savings – despite the hospital routinely missing national waiting time targets.

NHS Ayrshire and Arran chiefs refused to confirm exactly which wards would be affected, however sources claim at least five beds will go from the already under-pressure Accident and Emergency ward.

But health bosses say the decision to scrap beds comes as a result of “new care models” which will see “enhanced care and rehabilitation services based in the community”.

The Herald understands elderly and orthopaedic care will be among those wards and areas of care hit.

However Liz Moore, Director for Acute Services said the cuts will happen over the coming months as the need for beds reduces and as enhanced care services begin.