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

Managers at county hospitals and primary care trusts insist they still have no concrete proposals to prevent a forecast £82m deficit, even though it is almost a month since The Oxford Times 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 recover the required money.

Rumours of a cover-up until after the elections in Oxford City, Cherwell and West Oxfordshire on Thursday, May 4, came from Wantage MP Ed Vaizey, who claimed 75 medical posts were due to be scrapped.

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.

"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 Oxford Radcliffe Hospitals Trust, responsible for the John Radcliffe, Churchill Hospital and Radcliffe Infirmary, Oxford, 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. The trust board met privately last week but nothing has been finalised.

"We hope to have something finalised in about two weeks' time, but that's not because we're delaying anything until after the local elections, and we're unlikely to announce something on Friday, May 5."

Ms Peggs added that the ORH had already started having discussions with county NHS watchdog the Oxfordshire health overview and scrutiny committee (HOSC).

This suggests that some of the trust's cost-cutting ideas could be major service changes, allowing HOSC to launch three-month public consultations before they are confirmed.

Other NHS trusts across Oxfordshire have denied there are plans for redundancies. They included the Nuffield Orthopaedic Centre, and the Oxford City Primary Care Trust.