SUPPORTERS of Bolton Save our NHS Group braved the elements in Victoria Square on Saturday to protest against cutting 50 beds at Royal Bolton Hospital.

The protest came after the group saw plans of the Bolton Locality Plan, which highlights proposals for the future of health and social care in Bolton over the next five years.

The latest draft suggests that by 2020 there could be a funding gap of £83 million however the group claim previous figures of between £116 million and £162 million have been quoted.

Christine Howarth, of Bolton Save Our NHS Group, said that people in Bolton need to be made aware of what is going on.

She said: “What I think is going to happen is we are going to get more and more of these incidents where patients are being moved to two or three different hospitals.

“Because there are so few beds we are going to have to wait longer and longer to wait for procedures, some of them serious like cancer or heart operations.

“For example if you’re a builder and you get a hernia, if you have to wait two years to wait for an operation then that seriously will hinder your work.

“The people of Bolton need to know about this and we want them to support us and know that it is something that affects all of our lives."

Organisers of the protest braved the stormy conditions to make their feelings known.

Cakes were baked in the shape of hospital beds and ‘save our NHS’ placards were brandished.

The number of available hospital beds has dropped from 300,000 in 1987/88 to 129,458 in 2015/16, and by 15,000 in the last six years.

A statement from the British Medical Association (BMA), said: “The loss of beds risks patient safety and means hospitals are having to cancel operations or send patients home early.”

Figures from the BMA go on to highlight that the UK has the lowest number of beds in Europe at 2.4 per 1000 population, compared to eight beds in Germany and six beds in France.

Independent health charity Nuffield Trust, said: “The drive to achieve efficiencies by reducing bed numbers has been counterproductive.

“There is no slack in the system to accommodate surges in demand and as a result operations get delayed."

Plans are currently being made for a week of celebrations in July for the birthday of the NHS.

Karen Reissman, another protester from Bolton Save Our NHS Group, said: “The NHS is 69 years old this year so let us all celebrate this wonderful track record of the NHS in Bolton in saving lives and increasing life expectancy.”

The NHS will celebrate its 69th birthday on July 5.

An online petition has been started to raise awareness of the potential changes to the hospital.

To sign it, visit https://you.38degrees.org.uk/petitions/no-to-a-smaller-hospital-no-to-cuts-of-ps116-million