MORE than 150 jobs could be axed and two wards closed in a major cost cutting plan at the Royal Bolton Hospital.

A planned multi-storey car park could also be scrapped if the proposals to wipe out the hospital's £7.5m debt are approved.

The cutbacks are in a list of cost cutting measures suggested by hospital chiefs to be discussed at a meeting of the Bolton Hospitals NHS Trust on Monday night.

The hospital's chief executive David Fillingham insisted that the planned cutbacks are essential and warned: "We simply can't go on running up debts year after year."

The proposals include:

l Closing 26 beds for the elderly, the equivalent to an entire ward.

l Closing a children's ward.

l A policy of non replacement of staff to cut five per cent of the workforce - the equivalent of 155 jobs.

l Shelving plans to build a multi-storey car park to solve the hospital's parking problems.

Unions representing staff have condemned the proposals but Mr Fillingham said that although hospital chiefs had found the proposals difficult to recomend they are necessary for the development of the hospital.

Mr Fillingham said: "It is something that has to be done and we have to get it right, which means involving staff, local stakeholders in the community and being as open as we can because we just haven't got a choice in finding the money."

Regional officer for UNISON Chris Parkes said: "We will be issuing a joint staff statement at the board meeting, but it will be expressing genuine concern from the staff about the service and the service delivery."

If the proposals are approved 26 beds used for elderly care will be axed and one of the two children's wards at the hospital will close if a plan to merge current paediatric medical and surgical wards goes ahead.

Hospital chiefs hope to reduce the time pensioners spend in hospital by staff working more efficiently to ensure people are discharged faster.

They also believe that they can afford to close a children's ward because B1 and G5, are regularly only half-full.

It is also hoped the hospital will be able to offer more day surgery rather than admitting patients for overnight stays when they have operations.

Mr Fillingham said an Audit Commission survey showed patients stayed longer at the Royal Bolton Hospital than other comparable hospitals.

He said: "Patients don't want to wait a long time for an operation and they don't want to stay in hospital if they are well enough to go home.

"By addressing both service improvements and cost reductions together I feel confident we can serve patient needs better and spend the public's money more effectively."

Health chiefs believe that they can cut five per cent of the workforce through staff turnover.

It is suggested that the plans be scrapped to build the multi-storey car park because it would not be ready for at least three years, and it would be built by the private sector and would not generate any revenue for the hospital.

Some services will be moved off-site reducing the need for parking and other land on site can be used for parking.

An additional 183 staff parking places will be built before the end of the year, although employees will be expected to pay to park, and bosses have promised to increase public parking over the coming years.

Charges for patients and visitors will be increased from £1.40 to £1.70 for a four hour stay, although there will be no rise in 24 hour charges if plans are approved.

Mr Fillingham said: "Working with our staff we have had a thorough review of our expenditure and we have identified a number of areas where we could manage our services and finances better.

"We simply can't go on running up debts year after year. We have drawn up a set of guiding principles which make sure we maintain patient and staff safety."

But the plan to close the geriatric ward was condemned by Hulton Tory councillor and vice chairman of the Bolton Association of Residential Care Homes Andy Morgan.

Cllr Morgan said: "We are talking about a growing section of our society who's health needs are becoming ever more complex.

"I understand the hospital has to modernise and change the way they treat elderly, but I question if closing a 26 bed ward and discharging patients even earlier is the way forward.

"At last month's board meeting, emergency re-admissions after discharge for this age group were up, I wait to be convinced that discharging them even earlier will ease this trend and save the hospital money."

But chairman of Bolton's Health Scrutiny Committee Cllr Margaret Clare warned hospital bosses she would monitor the progress.

She said: "I think they have a very difficult job to recoup the £7m, but I would like to think it's manageable and we will be watching it closely.

"I'm very concerned about the non-building of the multi-storey car park because there are major car parking problems in the hospital."

Cllr Morgan, who also sits on the committee added: "The staff do a wonderful job within the resources they have, but the strain is starting to show because of the pressure they're under to discharge patients as quickly as possible."

The Royal Bolton Hospital is one of only 12 nationwide to be cautioned by the government about its finances.

NHS Trusts with overspends of more than £5million have been warned by Health Scretary Patricia Hewitt they must show better finance management and that they would not be bailed out.

She also warned trusts services must not be compromised.