Bradford MPs have welcomed the publication of a controversial report into Bradford's hospitals and insisted patients must not suffer because of the cash problems.

Bradford West MP Marsha Singh said he had not known Bradford Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust was forecasting a potential loss of £10 million within weeks of being granted Foundation status last April - until it was revealed in the report yesterday.

The early warning signs were contained in the report by financial consultants Alvarez and Marshal, commissioned by foundation trusts regulator Monitor, after it learned the Trust was experiencing financial problems. The final draft was dated December 1, 2004.

Mr Singh said the extent of the problem in April was "something that was hinted at and something we suspected". He added: "We did not have full knowledge that £10 million deficit had been predicted at that time. It appears now Monitor did not have much choice but to act.

"I would have preferred to have been in the picture at a much earlier stage. I think we would have been able to help as MPs in Bradford if we had known earlier.

"Now we need to learn the lessons from this and make sure that services and patients do not suffer."

The Trust, which runs St Lukes and Bradford Royal Infirmary, had to be in the black for it to become one of first waves of the Government's flagship Foundation Trusts.

So far it has shed 230 jobs and closed wards at St Lukes in response to the financial problems.

Mr Singh, Bradford North MP Terry Rooney and Bradford South MP Gerry Sutcliffe met with the Trust's interim chairman Peter Garland on Friday. John Ryan, the former chairman who presided over the Trust's Foundation application, was sacked by Monitor.

Mr Singh said: "We felt reassured there will not be a slash and burn policy but we think certain things will be inevitable. Obviously there will have to be some rationalisation."

Hospital governor and Wharfedale Bradford councillor Matt Palmer said: "Its very important we work with the interim chairman now to see these problems solved. While there should be a full investigation into what happened, the important thing is to make sure patients do not suffer as a result."

Mr Rooney blamed Monitor for licensing the Trust's application for Foundation status but said he did not accept the Trust was given insufficient funding by the Government to help with new policies.

He said: "Knowing what we know now, I do not think it should think the Trust should have had a license to become a Foundation Trust. The Trust knew about all these issues before they went ahead with their application.

"The evidence is that patient care is not suffering but, until this deficit is got rid of, it's always a possibility."

Both Monitor and the Trust have stressed A&M's report did not call into question the quality of clinical care and the Trust says progress has been made since the report.