HUDDERSFIELD'S hospital trust is set to have a £500,000 cash surplus at the end of the financial year.

Calderdale and Huddersfield NHS Foundation Trust - responsible for Huddersfield Royal Infirmary and Calderdale Royal Hospital - will end the year in the black, latest figures show.

The news comes as a welcome boost after an NHS report highlighted how almost a third of hospitals are in debt.

The trust, which gained foundation status last August, now controls its own finances, with less interference from the Government's Health Department.

Finance director Mark Brearley said: "Our record in delivering a balanced financial position was recognised when we gained foundation trust status.

"Our staff have worked exceedingly hard to deal with the demand for our services, especially during the winter, while at the same time living within the resources available to us.

"We are never complacent. We constantly monitor our performance throughout the year to make sure we are getting the best value for money and at the same time delivering the best services for our patients."

The £500,000 surplus, which represents 0.2% of the trust's £222m budget, will enable hospital bosses to develop services next year.

The surplus was planned for and agreed with the independent watchdog Monitor, set up to regulate foundation trusts.

The Calderdale and Huddersfield Foundation Trust was only the second one in West Yorkshire to be granted such status.

The Government wants all hospital trusts to get the status by next year.