HEALTH services in Bolton will come under scrutiny as bosses try to make savings of £18 million — five per cent of their £340 million allocation.

Proposals are being looked at to increase care in the community to reduce the length of hospital stays in an attempt to save money.

Although Bolton Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) is not being affected by Government cuts, funding has not increased.

Because of inflation, the increased cost of healthcare and services and the fact Bolton has an ageing population and growing health concerns, the CCG has calculated it will have a shortfall of £15.4 million. Health bosses on the CCG have said they do not want to have to cut services or reduce care and so have set themselves a challenge to find areas of “inefficiencies” to save the money.

They want to save £15.4 million to cover the shortfall and an additional £2.6 million that can then be used to spend on new projects or to invest into service improvements.

Annette Walker, chief financial officer at Bolton CCG, compared the group’s situation to an individual who has not had a pay rise, but who is affected by the cost of living increasing and who also wants more for their money.

Mrs Walker said the CCG’s situation was a “challenge”, but the group was hopeful to be able to achieve it within 12 months and officers would be looking at waste, including buildings that were not fully utilised, and at ways of ensuring “value for money”.

She said the group would be “working in an integrated way with the hospital” throughout the process and would not make any changes without the Royal Bolton’s agreement.

The CCG spends £166.6 million — almost half its budget — on acute services, which includes hospital care.

Its second largest expenditure is on prescribing, where it spends £50.6 million.

The CCG wants to make savings here by examining when people are often given repeat prescriptions when they are not needed or the course of medicine is not completed.

Mrs Walker is expected to present a plan to the group’s board by May.