Bradford hospital bosses have assured councillors that patients will not suffer because of ward closures at St Luke's and the hospitals' £11.3 million cash crisis.

Bradford Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust's chief executive David Jackson and director of planning and performance Malcolm Poad were quizzed by Bradford Council's Health Improvement Committee last night over the ward closures.

The committee voiced concerns after long-term plans to close two blocks at St Luke's, including a breast care ward and operating theatres, and transfer them to Bradford Royal Infirmary were sped up following regulator Monitor's revelation that the trust was facing a £11.3 million deficit.

Monitor's report also triggered more than 200 job losses as the trust tried to claw back cash, as well as the sacking of Trust chairman John Ryan who was replaced by new chair Peter Garland.

Chairman of the committee Councillor Elaine Byrom told the meeting she had asked Mr Garland twice to attend but he was unable to do so.

Mr Jackson said: "The quality of service provision in Bradford has not been criticised. Monitor recognised the Trust has a financial problem - not a clinical one. The service reconfiguration of wards and theatres at St Luke's and Bradford Royal Infirmary is simply the acceleration of a previously agreed plans."

Councillor John Godward (Lab, Great Horton) praised the quality of care at BRI and St Luke's but asked how quality of care could be maintained with the loss of jobs.

Trust director of planning and performance Malcolm Poad said increasing the numbers of beds at BRI and clearing a backlog of waiting patients had enabled the Trust to close wards at St Luke's without reducing services, but admitted 13 beds had been lost as a result of the closures.

But member of the public Richard Doran, 58, of Low Moor, who attended the meeting, told councillors closing wards at St Luke's hospital, including the transfer of a breast cancer unit to Bradford Royal Infirmary, had devastated staff. He added: "People are disgusted at what's happened. No-one thought about staff morale. There was no excuse for shutting the breast unit ward."

Mr Jackson revealed the regulator had not yet agreed a final figure on the forecast deficit but said the trust was aiming to start next year in financial balance.

He said the Trust believed it would start the financial year with a surplus of just over £2 million when it applied to become a foundation trust but "particularly tough" negotiations with Primary Care Trusts, coupled with the high costs of consultants' contracts and new IT, had contributed to the problems as the year progressed.

He stressed the breast ward at St Luke's had only formed a part of the whole breast unit, adding that in-patient beds were moved to BRI because theatres at St Luke's were old and because of the costs and difficulty in maintaining a split-site.