Airedale NHS Trust's finance director has agreed to head up a nine-month national project, leaving her number two to wrestle with a £5 million debt.

But health bosses this week gave their assurances that Janet Crouch's temporary secondment would not affect the trust's financial recovery plan to claw back a recurrent deficit.

A spokesman said: "Mrs Crouch's deputy Ian Hargreaves will be carrying out duties as acting director of finance, information and supplies during her secondment and will play a key role in the trust's financial recovery plan which has already been set in motion."

Mrs Crouch (pictured) left Airedale last Friday.

She will take up a nine-month post as executive lead on a national initiative which will, for the first time, use electronic booking to enable patients to choose a place, date and time for their initial hospital appointment that is convenient for them.

In a joint statement Jane Lack and Hilary Browne, of Airedale Hospital Patient and Public Involvement forum (PPI), said: "We trust that the gap in the senior management team will be filled to provide continuity in the implementation of the cost improvement measures in place to address the recurrent deficit.

"We offer her our best wishes for the future and look forward to welcoming her back to Airedale next year."

Mrs Crouch's secondment, based in Leeds and London, will run until May 2006. A trust spokesman said they planned to welcome her back to Airedale at the end of the nine months but could not confirm it.