CAMPAIGNERS have hit out at plans they say will significantly reduce the size of an already stretched Royal Bolton Hospital.

At a public meeting tonight organised by the Bolton Save Our NHS group, it was claimed that a five year plan developed to tackle a £83 million funding gap by 2020 was unworkable.

Campaigners argued that, instead of improving health in the community, the hospital could have 50 beds cut and patients forced to travel to Salford for emergency care.

They also claimed that the hospital was already under significant pressure, operating on ‘black’ and ‘red’ ‘status’ – where service delivery is below acceptable levels.  

Dr Jackie Grunsell, a GP from Huddersfield, attended the meeting alongside Bolton Save Our NHS member Karen Reissmann .

She told the busy hall at the Friends' Meeting House in Silverwell Street there was no evidence that the government's sustainability and transformation plans (STPs) - which aim to show how services in each local region will evolve and become sustainable over the next five years - could work.

She cited a lack of proper funding, low workforce numbers and problems providing the right social care as an ongoing crisis for the NHS.

She added: “There is no evidence of how they will make the plans actually work.

“Most of these plans talk about a reduction of inpatient beds, or the closure of the whole hospital in some cases. I believe in this area there could be a loss of five wards in the local hospital.

“If we implement STP plans beds levels here will be more like the levels of Columbia, where there is private care, and other developing countries. It is absolutely disgraceful, there will be unsustainable and unsafe levels of care.”

Linda Miller, Unison branch secretary, claimed the hospital was continuing to operate between ‘amber status’– significant pressure on system and action is required – and ‘black status’ – where directives were needed to help bring things to an acceptable level.

Attendees argued that more needed to be done to raise concerns over plans for the hospital and the Bolton Locality Plan, which is proposals for the future of health and social care in Bolton over the next five years. 

An October draft of the plan does include plans to reduce hospital activity, including non elective admissions, outpatient attendances, and outpatient follow-ups.

Campaigners argue this means fewer emerging operations, fewer people seeing specialists and fewer follow-up appointments.

Members of Bolton Save our NHS Group said the reduction of beds had been listed in previous drafts of the plans but had now been withdrawn, though they feared the intention was to still implement the cuts.

Speaking as a patient of Salford Royal Hospital and Bolton Royal Hospital, Rosie Adamson-Clark said she feared for the future of Bolton.

She added: “Bolton becomes almost like a cottage hospital under these plans.

“Unless we galvanise ourselves then no one will take notice. We have to be the voice that takes action.”