HOSPITAL chiefs in Chorley are drawing up plans to deal with what could be an extremely busy winter.

Demands on NHS services are already running at two per cent higher than last year.

Health authorities and their social care partners across the North West have completed arrangements for dealing with the months ahead.

The plans include opening hundreds of extra hospital beds, an expansion of A&E facilities, better access to GP services, use of community hospitals and the private sector and an extension of the NHS Direct service.

Professor Robert Tinston, NHS North West regional director, said: "No-one can predict the vagaries of winter with absolute certainty and we can't be sure that the service won't experience difficulties at one time or another, but I can give an absolute assurance that everything possible has been done to avoid the severe problems that we experienced in some previous years."

Meanwhile a new £1.75 million national advertising campaign to help inform people about the full range of health care options available to them over winter has been launched by the Government.

The campaign -- called Get the Right Treatment -- explains how to access health care services, when to use them and how to use them responsibly.

Health minister Gisela Stuart said: "Last year's Choose the Right Remedy campaign was an excellent step in the right direction, but raising public awareness and understanding doesn't happen overnight.

"This year's campaign will continue to build people's knowledge of the health care services already available which are often more extensive than they realise."

The campaign seeks to build on people's confidence to self-treat where appropriate and remind them about existing services, such as the expert advice available from your local pharmacist.

It explains how to use your GP surgery, A&E and 999 services in the right way and provides information on NHS Direct, the 24-hour nurse-led helpline which will be available across England form the end of this month.