THE HEAD of Bolton hospitals has backed staff demands for more cash to improve accident and emergency services.

Mr John Brunt, Chief Executive of Bolton Hospitals NHS Trust, has echoed the concerns of Bolton's A and E team over the pressures being heaped on an over-stretched staff treating more patients than ever before.

Accident and emergency staff have criticised Wigan and Bolton Health Authority for failing to inject more cash after complaints that some patients were having to wait up to four hours.

Last week, consultant John Adams and Dr Chris Moulton, along with other colleagues, said they were coping as best they could with the resources at their disposal at the new casualty unit in the £45m Royal Bolton Hospital. In a statement today, Mr Brunt, said: "Bolton has an excellent A and E department whose staff have consistently shown great dedication to their patients and are determined to improve upon the already high standards of clinical service.

"We owe them our heartfelt thanks, admiration and respect."

The department's efforts to cope with recent Government and local changes means staff have been put under increasing pressure to cope with Patients Charter immediate assessment, growth in demand, the impact of Leigh A and E's closure and the move to the new, large casualty unit.

"The Hospitals Trust is entirely dependent upon Wigan and Bolton Health Authority for funding for A and E services," added Mr Brunt. "The Trust has been pressing for adequate resources to sustain these initiatives.

"We hope that a positive outcome can be achieved.

"We are concerned that future plans to develop services, such as the extended use of nurse practitioners, will be hindered because of lack of resources.

"With increasing workload it may be inevitable that despite our best efforts, waiting times will increase for less urgent patients," he added.

Wigan and Bolton Health Authority has already said there is no extra cash available this year to pump into A and E. Bolton's Labour prospective parliamentary candidates David Crausby (Bolton North-east) and Brian Iddon (Bolton South) and Euro MP Gary Titley visited the new hospital development as part of a fact-finding tour of NHS facilities.

They expressed concern about the "overlong" waiting periods for patients in the A and E Department.

They also voiced their concerns that three of the new intensive care beds at the hospital are not in use due to a shortage of funds, and that patients are transferred to and from hospitals in the region when demand for beds is high.

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