A £1 MILLION upgrade of two wards at The Royal Bolton Hospital has been officially unveiled by health minister Rosie Winterton.

The minister, along with Bolton MPs Dr Brian Iddon, David Crausby and Ruth Kelly, visited the hospital to reopen the C1 and C3 wards.

Ms Winterton said: "I'm delighted to have formally opened these wards.

"It's essential that patients are able to receive the high-quality care they get on the NHS in a setting which preserves their dignity and privacy. I would like to congratulate the staff on all levels for their hard work."

The wards have been transformed, with one mile of pipes, more than 100 doors, 60 windows, 2,000 square metres of paint, 100 metres of partitions and 19 glazed screens installed.

The old wards were built in the 1920s. Each had 28 beds and no privacy for patients.

In the new wards, there are single sex bays, ensuring more privacy for patients; a new security system; sensor taps to aid infection control; a new electronic nurse-call system and more storage space; bathrooms; shower rooms and toilets.

Ruth Kelly, MP for Bolton West, said: "I welcome these excellent improvements and I'm sure patients will enjoy greater privacy and dignity as a result.

"It's been great to see first-hand the benefits these new wards will bring for patients and our whole-hearted thanks must go to the staff at the hospital."