MORE than £50 million needs to be spent on Bolton's outdated health centres and GP surgeries, a health expert claims.

But in Bolton this year, just £180,000 has been earmarked for repairs.

Most of the 18 buildings in Bolton belonging to the town's NHS Primary Care Trust were built in the 1960s. Health bosses have been told that the maintenance backlog bill already amounts to £2 million.

Tim Bennett, the trust's deputy chief executive, said Bolton needed more than £50 million to repair and build new health centres.

The Government is hoping that doctors will soon be able to carry out minor operations in local community surgeries, taking pressure off hospitals.

At a meeting of the trust, capital planner David Hurt said: "We have 18 buildings, owning 13 outright valued at £10.1 million. I don't think these buildings will enable us to meet these Government plans.

"The maintenance backlog is quite considerable. Some buildings are 34 years old."

The Bolton trust has put in a bid to become a LIFT -- Local Improvement Financial Trust. It will mean shared ownership of health buildings between GPs, the local NHS hospital, Bolton Council and the private sector and could bring in £30 million.

Dr Stephen Liversedge, a leading Bolton GP, has called for rundown surgeries in areas of high deprivation to get extra funding.

He said it was unfair that improvement money had in the past only been given to those doctors who mounted successful bids.

Finance bosses say the majority of a £1 million allocation for work on health centres and surgeries has already been committed to other projects.

This includes over £300,000 on developing a new child health centre, Gaskell House, in Churchgate, Bolton.

A further £134,000 will go on repairing a leaky roof at the new flagship £3 million health centre in Pikes Lane, Deane. Just £180,000 is left to spend on repairs and re-development of surgeries.

An Audit Commission survey has reported that one in 10 surgeries in Britain do not meet basic minimum standards, such as having a sink in treatment rooms.

Mr Bennett said: "We need to identify priority areas of most need, in those areas of the community that have the highest deprivation and the greatest medical needs."

Pam Senior, trust chairman, said: "In the past, everything has been done piecemeal -- that has been a mistake."