BOLTON hospital chiefs want to boost kidney services after a new report listed them as the top priority for improvements.

The Greater Manchester Renal Strategy believes that a new satellite clinic in Bolton is urgently required because of health needs in the town and the difficulty people have accessing services.

Currently any patient needing kidney dialysis has to travel to Salford's Hope Hospital in Salford, the specialist kidney centre in Greater Manchester.

But Bolton teenager Matthew Rimmer highlighted the urgent need for better renal services in Bolton when he was refused transport to get to Salford for the life-saving treatment.

Matthew has since had a kidney transplant and no longer needs dialysis, but there are still others in a similar situation forced to travel to Hope for treatment.

A recent 11th hour bid for 12 dialysis station at the Royal Bolton Hospital was recently turned down.

But hospital chiefs have been led to believe there will be more money available to bid for soon.

And they are now working hand in hand with Hope Hospital to produce a business plan for a new clinic which will be ready to be released as soon as more money for kidney services is announced.

Director of service strategy for Bolton Hospitals NHS Trust, Mrs Ann Shenk, said: "The last bid was put together at very short notice and unfortunately we were not successful in that round.

"However since then, we have been listed as a clear priority for a satellite clinic and it has been suggested we need 18 stations, not the 12 we bided for originally."

She added: "We are now preparing a detailed business case in conjunction with Hope Hospital and the Health Authority for a unit at the hospital, so when the next tranche of money is released we are in a good position off the starting blocks.

"We do believe there will be money and we are reasonably confident we have a good case, it is just a question of when that money will become available."

Bolton North-east MP has now set about urging NHS bosses to find the money to provide kidney dialysis services in the town.

He said: "I have made representations to the North West Regional Office of the NHS requesting them to consider a further allocation of funding to support this desperately needed facility in Bolton."

He said that NHS bosses recognised that the development of such a satellite unit in Bolton was a high priority in Greater Manchester.

He added: "I shall continue to press for improvement to vital renal services for the people of Bolton and argue that if further earmarked funding is released that Bolton will be able to secure this much needed investment."