HOSPITAL bosses have defended their policies after a damning report showed that too many patients are blocking beds.

The report, carried out by the new Bolton health body, the Primary Care Trust (PCT), found that one patient at the Royal Bolton Hospital was kept on a ward for a year because of problems trying to find him a house.

Most patients are aged 80 to 89 and stay for an average of 76 days, blocking beds for patients coming into the accident and emergency department. This causes a knock-on effect with operations which then have to be cancelled.

The report also found that many medical patients were being treated on non-medical wards because of a lack of beds.

Hospital bosses said more patients should be treated in doctors' surgeries and other primary care facilities before going to the hospital.

Dr Kevin Snee, chief executive of the PCT, said the hospital's accident and emergency department could get very busy because people in the Farnworth area turn up at casualty instead of seeing their GP.

Dr Snee said: "The hospital is unfortunately situated in an area which has very few GP surgeries."

A hospital spokesman said it was widely acknowledged that the Royal Bolton Hospital had been under pressure for some time.

He added: "We have worked with and will continue to work with our partner organisations to recognise the reasons for these pressures.

"It is clear that resources need to be directed at primary care to ensure that, where appropriate, patients can be cared for in places other than hospital. All this will require further work and investment."