THE new Royal Bolton Hospital's accident and emergency department will have to cope with a huge of 2,800 out of town patients this year.

The switch to the General Hospital Minerva Road, Farnworth, site following the closure of Bolton Royal Infirmary, means the new casualty department will now take emergency admissions from Salford and Wigan.

A report which went to Bolton Council's health service liaison sub-committee yesterday warned that Bolton's A and E department will have to deal with an extra 2,000 ambulances arriving from Salford addresses and 800 from Wigan.

On top of this, an un-estimated number of "walk-in" and GP referred cases will come from patients to the south and west of Bolton as the casualty department becomes well known in that area.

The closure of Leigh A and E last year has already directed more patients to Bolton.

Bolton Hospitals Trust say they already have plans in hand to increase the number of beds and nursing staff and shift some existing ones into the department.

The report also warns that Bolton social services staff face a heavier workload liaising with colleagues from other districts "at a time when there is an enormous pressure for throughput on acute hospital wards."

It states: "The potential for confusion and unnecessarily extended lengths of hospital stay must be overcome."

The new hospital will be given the title the Royal Bolton Hospital after the Queen agreed for the "royal" title to be transferred to the new hospital.

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