IN reply to John Brunt on Wednesday October 3, his comments are illogical.

It wouldn't have cost the amount that has been spent, or has yet to be spent, to refurbish the BRI and accommodate the extra 60,000 that have come our way.

I worked at BRI. We had bad days and even bad winters and yes we did have beds down the middle of wards (it is now illegal for this to happen) but no one was on a trolley in A & E for any length of time.

The time these ill people have had to wait didn't happen. If we had no beds and the District had they went up there. We all know that the Royal Bolton Hospital has as many beds as both hospitals if not more.

But we didn't have Leigh, Wigan, Little Hulton, Walkden etc to handle all the time. It's not that casualty is understaffed (it may well be, but I doubt it) it's just the fact that there are treble the people attending Royal Bolton Hospital.

It is a super hospital if it catered for only Bolton people. But it doesn't. So we do need another hospital.

So how does he arrive at the conclusion that 261,000 Bolton people and an increase of up to 60,000 others that the Royal Bolton can cope?

Build us another hospital for orthopedics and fully equip it. The Paramedics, I'm quite sure, know the difference between a heart attack and a broken leg.

The powers that be say in the BEN they are considering a fully equipped children's hospital and should be pushing this as soon as possible, not in four years time and causing the misery and upset that is happening at the moment. It can't get any better as I don't think the birth rate in the area concerned has dropped that much.

Bring back "Matron" it worked OK before. She knows what she is doing and what needs to be done.

If you have worked a lifetime in Industry one would know and realise that things are bad and aren't going to get better. So solve the problem and stop thinking it will get better.

Mrs Jean Bates

Garstang Avenue

Crompton Fold

Bolton