Proposals for St Michael's Hospital were leaked to the media

Penwith Council chief executive Jim McKenna has written to the Royal Cornwall Hospitals Trust over proposals for hospitals in Hayle and Penzance.

He has questioned plans to close St Michael's Hospital and cuts at the West Cornwall Hospital given that the county council has not been consulted.

The Royal Cornwall Hospitals Trust's chief was unavailable for comment.

Surgery review

The NHS in Cornwall is facing a potential �31m deficit. The Trust is cutting costs and 300 jobs to try to reduce the projected deficit.

Emergency surgery will not be carried out at the West Cornwall Hospital from the end of August.

All accident and emergency work will be concentrated at the Royal Cornwall Hospital in Truro, although non-urgent booked appointments will continue.

Managers said the emergency surgery issue would be reviewed later in the year.

Plans to shut 70-bed St Michael's Hospital in Hayle were made public after a memo leaked to the BBC.

Urgent meeting

Mr McKenna said he had heard about the plans for West Cornwall Hospital via the media.

On legal issues, he said: "A couple of years ago the government introduced a requirement on the NHS to consult with local authorities on major service changes.

"When I spoke to the county council yesterday, they said they knew nothing about some of the proposals.

"I would say, and we are investigating the legal position as we speak, that they are not legally empowered to make such cuts until such time as they have consulted on them."

He asked why services were being slashed before the true extent of the financial situation was known, and has called for an urgent meeting with the trust's acting chief executive, Paula Friend.