THE BATTLE to find £200m savings for Oxfordshire's NHS was described yesterday as "like rearranging deckchairs on the Titanic".

Oxford city councillor Susanna Pressel used the phrase at a discussion of how to find those savings.

Oxfordshire Transformation Board presented its plan to run a county-wide consultation on the subject yesterday morning to Oxfordshire's Health Overview and Scrutiny Committee.

Board chairman Stuart Bell promised the committee his long-term plan "did not mean cuts", but Mrs Pressel retorted: "I think this obviously is about cuts.

"It sometimes feels like rearranging deck chairs on the Titanic but I'm glad you're all feeling so calm."

But she went on: "I do think you have come up with some exciting plans for what we could do down the road, particularly prevention and health lifestyles."

Mr Bell said the biggest challenges facing the NHS in Oxfordshire were shortage of money, an ageing population and difficulty recruiting enough staff.

To save the NHS money he said his board were looking at how to change culture around health in Oxfordshire, starting by educating children and teenagers better about health risks.

He also talked about "more focus on voluntary, carers and support to patients".

The board will run a county-wide public consultation on various options starting this autumn.

Find out more about dates near you at oxfordshireccg.nhs.uk