BURY accident and emergency department will move to Fairfield Hospital next Wednesday (Sept 19) at two in the morning!

The department is due to relocate from its Walmersley Road premises to the new hospital complex site in Rochdale Old Road.

It is hoped the early hours of the morning will be the quietest time for the department to make its move and hospital bosses are stressing that people needing emergency treatment after 2am will need to go to Fairfield.

Mrs Lesley Cousin, who is helping to co-ordinate the move, said: "People should not panic if they do go to Bury General. There will be teams available to transfer them to Fairfield. But to help the move go as smoothly as possible we would urge everyone to note that from 2am they should attend Fairfield Hospital." Transfer of the casualty department will signal the closure of Bury General Hospital which will admit no more patients. However, it will take a few more weeks to transfer the outpatients services and patients on acute medical wards to the Fairfield site.

Users of outpatient services are being asked to check their appointment cards to double check which hospital they should attend.

The centralisation of hospital services to the Rochdale Old Road complex has been in planning since 1997 and the building work to accommodate the transfer started two years ago at a cost of £24 million, £4.5 million of which has been spent on the new accident and emergency department.

Fairfield Hospital will become a leading district general hospital.

Mr Frank Blackburn, director of estates and project director, said: "The transfer of 90 per cent of the services had been done earlier than anticipated and within the cost allocated for the project.

"We have some new facilities and equipment which is the most advanced to improve patient care. By avoiding split site working there will be greater efficiency in all the departments."

Bury General Hospital opened in 1829 as a dispensary in a former public house known as the Hope and Anchor at the corner of Bury Lane and Bolton Street moving to its Walmersley Road site in 1882.

Fairfield Hospital dates back to the middle of the 19th Century as a workhouse and hospital for the poor.

Mrs Sandra Pumford, who is part of the commissioning team co-ordinating the move, said: "Everyone who has been involved in the move are excited about it. But at the same time it will be sad to leave Bury General Hospital."

She added: "We hope that patients will bear with us during this final stage. And also play their bit by reading signs to different departments and their cards to ensure they are on the right complex. If anyone is unsure then they should simply ring to check."