NHS managers have denied they are keeping cost-saving job cuts across Oxfordshire secret until after next month's local elections.

Oxford Radcliffe Hospitals (ORH) bosses insist they still have no concrete proposals to prevent a forecast £82m deficit, even though it is nearly a month since the Oxford Mail revealed they had been given two weeks to draw up a recovery plan.

Their claims have been backed by the Royal College of Nursing, which - despite showing concern about future redundancies earlier this week - believes top level directors have still not reached any decisions about how to claw back cash.

But Wantage MP Ed Vaizey said he was told by senior consultants that 75 medical posts due to be culled would not be axed until after local elections, being held in Oxford, Cherwell and West Oxfordshire next month.

He added: "I have been approached by several senior consultants who've told me a further round of cuts is planned at the John Radcliffe Hospital, but this is being held back until after the local elections.

"Rumours are flying around and people have contacted me with their concerns - there is clearly a huge and damaging effect on morale.

"I think it's likely that pressure has been put on the ORH to hold back and I would like a guarantee there will be no redundancies announced after May 4."

His comments have been refuted by the ORH, responsible for Oxford's JR, Churchill Hospital and Radcliffe Infirmary, and the Horton, Banbury.

Spokesman Helen Peggs said: "We're looking at a huge variety of savings possibilities, but there are genuinely no decisions yet."