MEDICAL chiefs have defended the decision to close 50 mental health beds at the Royal Bolton Hospital after criticism from councillors.

The decision, put forward by Greater Manchester West Mental Health NHS Foundation Trust, was approved on Friday after months of consultation.

The shake-up means fewer people will be admitted to mental health wards, with more patients being cared for at home, while those admitted will be treated at Woodlands Hospital in Little Hulton.

At a meeting of the health scrutiny committee, councillors challenged leaders of the Bolton Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) over the decision.

Cllr Elaine Sherrington said she was concerned there was no contingency plan if clinicians realised there were not enough beds provided for Bolton residents suffering from a mental health problem.

She said: “I’m just concerned.

“We are talking about people with dementia who don’t have a voice and cannot complain in the same way as someone, say, with arthritis.

“I’m hoping that if you do this you are going to be honest and if it’s not working we go back to the way things were. If you don’t your credibility will go. I will make sure it goes.”

Dr Wirin Bhatiani, chairman of Bolton CCG, defended the decision and said the Woodlands Hospital would provide exemplary care to needy Bolton patients.

He said: “We are not in the business of massaging figures.

“The facility at Woodlands is amazing, and we should be really proud to have that facility on our doorstep.”

He added: “If we look at papers up and down the country they say there aren’t enough mental health beds.

However, in our area there is a greater proportion of beds per population.

“What we are offering in our area is a holistic approach.

“Keeping people at home, that’s where they want to be, and the important thing is getting those community services to a level where they can afford the right level of care.”