A WARD in the Princess Anne Maternity Unit will close this month because the unit has too many beds.

Bosses at the Royal Bolton Hospital have decided to close ward M1, which cares for mothers before and after they have had their babies, from January 26.

It means the number of beds will fall from 70 to 53 but hospital staff are confident the 32 per cent reduction in beds will not affect the care women receive.

The move comes after the development of the ante-natal day care unit, which can look after some of the women who would have been in M1. The 4,000 women who give birth at the unit every year will be cared for on the other three maternity wards.

Head of Midwifery Gail Naylor said: "It is the physical ward that is closing rather than the service and the women on that ward will not be affected. Over the last couple of years we have been monitoring the service and, because care has changed so much, we do not need as many beds."

The midwives currently working on M1will be re-located across the other three wards.