FIFTY mental health beds are set to go at the Royal Bolton Hospital — as bosses look to save money and care for people in their own homes.

Mental health beds at the hospital will be transferred to Woodlands Hospital in Little Hulton.

The trust expects to make £2.1 million worth of savings over two years by closing the wards.

The proposals from Greater Manchester West Mental Health NHS Foundation Trust (GMW) — which runs mental health services at the Royal Bolton — were rubber stamped by the Bolton Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) board on Friday.

But bosses say that no patient will be denied a bed if one is needed.

A report put to the CCG board showed there had been a downward trend of almost 50 per cent relating to the length of stay of dementia patients since May.

Jayne Wright, district services director at GMW, told the board: “If there is not a bed available then we will tackle that. They will be found a bed. That goes for dementia patients too. I hope that is reassuring.

“It’s not just the bed, it’s the quality of the bed. This is about providing better accommodation.”

Annette Walker, chief finance officer for the CCG, said: “It became really clear when we visited the mental health wards at the Royal Bolton that it is a hospital — but it needs to be transitional.

“Patients should be able to go back home. They need to go to a home rather than a hospital environment. The new facility at Woodlands will be really good for patients.”

The Royal Bolton’s Linden ward will close and 15 beds on Oak Ward will also go.

The CCG said that up to five additional beds could be made available for dementia patients on Hazelwood ward if an emergency arises during the period of transition.

Dr Stephen Liversedge, clinical director of primary care at the CCG, said: “We are committed to more care in the community. I am very reassured about what we have been presented with in these proposals.”

Wirin Bhatiani, lead GP for the Bolton CCG and chairman of the board, passed the proposals. He said: “It is important to understand that if some-one requires hospital admission then they will have hospital admission.”