THERE can be little surprise that the Royal Bolton Hospital has only been given a one star rating by the Healthcare Commission.

The well documented fiddling of the waiting lists to make it look as if it had met Government targets was bound to have severe repercussions and is believed to have led to the early retirement of Chief Executive John Brunt.

But it also failed another key target - to see patients attending the accident and emergency department in less than four hours, and that is simply not good enough.

New chief executive David Fillingham, who takes up his post next month, faces a tough challenge in getting the hospital back on track, restoring staff morale and the confidence of the public in the hospital's provision of healthcare.

This will be no easy task given the complex nature of the health service and the apparent continued underfunding by the Government for a borough the size of Bolton.

Yet it has to be remembered that the quality of care at the hospital is not in doubt and that it achieved seven of its nine key targets.

There is plenty for Mr Fillingham and his management team to build on, but they need to act quickly and decisively to put matters right.