THE Royal Bolton Hospital is again on the receiving end of criticism.

This time, the respected Dr Foster organisation -- the country's first independent publisher of healthcare guides -- has revealed figures indicating that the hospital has the highest patient death rate in the North-west.

Bolton's main hospital is in good company, alongside Bury Health Care, and Wrightington, Wigan and Leigh, which all scored badly -- although not as badly as Bolton.

Mortality rates are seen as a crucial indicator of clinical care in hospitals and, understandably, there is concern at the Royal about this latest report.

The NHS Trust here points out that the Commission for Health Improvement did not find anything untoward in the quality of clinical care in Bolton. And there had also been recent improvements.

I hope that all the relevant conditions have been taken into account to compile these figures. This should certainly include Bolton's general legacy of poor health inherited from higher than usual poverty levels and chest and heart problems going back decades.

When the former Bolton General Hospital was revamped with the closure of the Royal Infirmary, it was over-used and under-funded in an alarmingly short space of time.

Lengthy waiting times, cancelled operations and bed-blocking soon became a problem. Yet, throughout all this, the staff at the hospital have carried on valiantly, giving the same service to the people of Bolton under very difficult conditions.

Some money has now been allocated to help, and the prognosis is better. But the spirit there could easily be crushed.

I sincerely hope that the Royal can overcome this latest setback, and continue to improve our local health services.

It is certainly nothing to do with the dedication of all the people who work there.