PLANS to improve facilities at the Royal Bolton Hospital are bound to be welcome. Since services were transferred centrally from the old Infirmary to the former General Hospital at Farnworth three years ago, the refurbished and improved hospital has been stretched to cope with the influx.

Not only has it absorbed the services formerly at BRI, it has also attracted a massive increase in patients from outside the area, especially Leigh and Salford. Contraction of services elsewhere have added to the problem, and it's set to get worse with the closure of the minor injuries unit at Bury General.

Now, in a bold move, plans are being drawn up to provide more wards and create a new, purpose-built unit for children. This is likely to help ease the concerns that some local parents are bound to have over the changes at Booth Hall and Pendlebury children's hospitals.

Anyone who has ever been near the Royal Bolton Hospital, particularly attended the ultra-busy Accident and Emergency Department, will recognise the need for more space and facilities.

Almost immediately after the reopening, and following a spend of £45 million on the place, the hospital's services looked over-burdened. As we have said before, this should really have been foreseen.

Now, the proposals to release B1 and B2 wards and build a new children's unit will create more medical beds and add substantially to current services.

Yes, they certainly will. But even if plans get the go-ahead now, work will not start for a couple of years, when the real problem is happening now.

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