PLANS are being drawn up to introduce a pilot scheme to treat minor injuries and ailments at Bolton's pharmacies in a bid to reduce the number of accident and emergency visits to the Royal Bolton Hospital.

It is hoped the service, which is expected to be introduced later this year, will also reduce problems with access to GPs and decrease the need for patients to ring the out-of-hours doctors service.

Health chiefs have not yet decided which pharmacies will be chosen for the scheme.