The NHS can save money whilst protecting healthcare and saving jobs, a leading GP in York has claimed.

Dr Brian McGregor who is chairman of the Local Medical Committee believes changes can be made to the region's NHS trust which would aide the necessary spending cuts but "would not be detrimental to patient care."

NHS North Yorkshire and York's admittance recently revealed that their finances had seriously deteriorated and local health professionals would have to find savings in prescription costs, hospital stays and paying for outside healthcare.

Dr McGregor revealed a number of possible saving suggestions to the York Press, with one being that GPs should prescribed cheaper, non-branded versions of certain medications. He said the drugs would still bring patients the same benefits. Dr McGregor likened the idea to a shopper buying a store's own brand of cornflakes instead of buying Kellogg's.

"For example there are drugs to cut stomach acid, which are coming to the end of their patent so it can be made much cheaper. Some people may not like the taste, but it's still effective," he said.

Another of his suggestions was that doctors should reassess the length of any course of medication they prescribe and utilise the skills of those in physiotherapy and occupational therapy jobs.

"We may get somebody with back pain and we give them a month's worth of treatment when we actually only need to give them a week's. There could be alternatives to prescriptions such as physiotherapy," he added.

Whilst he acknowledged the changes could not be made overnight, he insist they can be done.

"There will be a lot of work involved to change things and there will be a lot of extra appointments needed. But it can be done - there are ways and means of doing it," he said.