HEALTH chiefs in Bolton have admitted the town's hospital has reached crisis point, after being placed at the bottom of the league in the North West by the Government's new star rating system.

On the same day that the hospital's poor one-star rating was revealed, there were 24 patients left waiting for accident and emergency beds that do not exist.

This is no coincidence.

There is clearly a problem which is simply not going to go away unless action is taken.

The hospital was specifically marked down on two counts -- its inability to see 95 per cent of women with suspected breast cancer within 14 days, and its high number of operation cancellations.

A hospital policy introduced means that operations can be cancelled the same day of surgery as Accident and Emergency patients are given their beds.

And one staff nurse summed the position up by saying "it is a constant juggle".

Yes, the hospital's management needs to look at what action it can take. But this is not entirely a question of poor management.

The main problem is obvious -- the hospital does not have enough beds to cope with demand.

But how to solve it is a different matter. The chief executive of Bolton Hospitals NHS Trust, John Brunt, is pushing for a three ward extension. Would this be sufficient?

Bolton is the largest town in the country, with a population of 261,000 -- is one hospital really enough?

A visit to the Royal Bolton Hospital tells its own story. Before ever addressing the core problem of the lack of beds, there are not even enough spaces to comfortably park a car.

Geographically, too, another smaller purpose-built hospital, with an Accident and Emergency unit, would surely benefit those living in the north side of the town.

Whether the Government would fund a second smaller hospital is open to debate. But something needs to be done, and quickly.

The numbers going to the hospital are increasing all the time, placing ever more pressure on facilities. This constant bombardment means stressed staff become more demoralised, and patient care continues its downward spiral.