A £25,000 WINDFALL for the cash-strapped Royal Bolton Hospital is to be spent on exercise bikes, snack machines and music systems for the staff.

The Government cash, which is part of a £9 million nationwide scheme to improve the working lives of health staff, comes at time when the hospital is facing the possibility of ending the financial year £3 million in the red.

And health chiefs fear the serious funding shortfalls will have serious implications on the services provided to patients.

Despite the shortage of cash the town's two health trusts have been given a total of £50,000 to spend on amenities for its employees. The other £25,000 will go to the Commuity Health Care Trust. Trade unions and staff at the Royal Bolton Hospital have been consulted over where the money should be spent.

And after the consultation health chiefs are now recommending that the money -- part of the Government's NHS Modernisation Plan -- should be spent on leisure and snack-type facilities.

Lynn Hartley, human resources director, said: "We decided that if this money was to improve the working lives of our staff, then the staff should be involved in the decision on how the money was spent.

"Working with trade union representatives, we contacted staff throughout Bolton and asked them how they would like the money to be spent.

"Distribution of the money took into account the differing needs of staff and requests ranged from fridges, a hot water geyser, microwaves, portable fans, to a music system, an exercise bike, video and TV, snacks, kettle and toaster. "

News of how the money is likely to be spent, though, has prompted an outcry.

Cllr Stuart Lever said he is "astounded" by the plans for the £25,000 and said: "It just defies belief. If the hospital was a business it would have gone bankrupt by now.

"I can agree with them wanting to make life better for staff because all companies should be doing that nowadays, but the management there is very misguided.

"It makes me think of the engine room of a ship where everyone is shovelling coal onto the fire, but nobody is at the helm steering it.

"The hospital keeps having all this money thrown at it, but is not controlling the way it is being spent.

"I wonder if they will have to set aside another room for the gym and the video. If they do, then they are reducing the capacity of the hospital which will cost even more money."

Dorothy Darbyshire, of Norwood Grove, spent five days in the Royal Bolton Hospital earlier this year receiving treatment for leg injuries.

The 71-year-old praised the hard working staff, but was shocked to hear that so much money was going to be spent on leisure facilities for them. She said: "Nothing surprises me anymore about the hospital, but when I was there the visitors' chairs had stuffing hanging out and were in a terrible state, the food was dreadful and there was no television in the ward.

"Perhaps the money could be spent on mending simple things like that. Why should the nurses have a TV if the patients haven't?"

A 59-year-old former headteacher who lay on a trolley for eight hours after being rushed to the Royal Bolton Hospital with a suspected heart attack earlier this year was also outraged by the plans.

Father-of-three Alan Rigby, of Red Lane, Breightmet, who had previously suffered three heart attacks and undergone a quadruple bypass, said: "I don't understand how the staff will have time to watch videos or use an exercise bike." "When I was in teaching there was not time to sit and watch videos in my dinner hour.

"If any money comes to the hospital then it should be spent on improvements to patient services.

"Surely £25,000 could be spent on extra nurses for Accident and Emergency."