THE maternity unit at the Royal Bolton Hospital will be one of eight "favoured options" for new super units under a proposed health shake-up.
Under the review, three exisiting maternity departments, including Fairfield General Hospital, in Bury, could close and instead have a midwife-led unit.
The massive review of NHS services across the region covers neo-natal, childrens services and maternity units at 14 hospitals, including those at Bolton, Bury and Hope hospitals.
At a meeting on Thursday, health chiefs agreed the shake-up was necessary because there were not enough specialist doctors to treat sick children in existing units.
The midwife-led units would be based in those towns which would lose maternity units, but anyone needing specialist help or having multiple births would travel to the nearest maternity unit. Ante-natal care would remain at individual hospitals.
The fate of other hospitals will be decided at a later meeting.
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