HEALTH bosses have come to the aid of the £3 million cash-strapped Royal Bolton Hospital, finance chiefs have revealed.

The hospital's director of finance, Beverly Peacock, has revealed that the trust has received an "investment" from the Wigan and Bolton Health Authority which has improved its cash-flow.

The exact amount has not been made public, but the trust is also appealing to the regional health department for a further £2.5 million -- which would be repaid over the next few years.

However, that could mean that future schemes to improve patient services at the hospital may be axed to pay back the Government.

The Minerva Road hospital has also drawn on £750,000 of its contingency money to ease the cash crisis -- but Mrs Peacock revealed that this may hit projects planned to improve patient services.

At a meeting of the Bolton Hospitals NHS Trust board, it was revealed that crisis meetings were held throughout July and August among hospital bosses who were overspending.

Mrs Peacock told members of the NHS Hospitals Trust board that it is now predicting a year-end deficit of just £490,000 -- and not the £3 million which had previously been predicted.

Departments across the trust will now be closely monitored by finance chiefs.

Mrs Peacock continues to blame emergency admission pressures, acute bed problems and staff shortages for putting strain on the budget.

Mrs Peacock told the board of a "cost explosion" due to high service demand and difficulties in recruiting nurses from the local labour market.

She said: "A fundamental reappraisal of the current investment in the trust is urgently required to ensure future stability to deliver good quality health care to the local population."

However, fears about the added winter pressures on the NHS were voiced by trust board members as having adverse effects on the hospital's recovery plan.