HOSPITAL chiefs are bracing themselves for testing times in the next few days despite reporting a quiet start to the new year in Bolton.

Traditionally, the first week in January tends to be the busiest as A&E is floodedd with people with influenza or having suffered a nasty fall on the ice.

Pressure on beds is already mounting but the Royal Bolton Hospital report no red alerts over the Christmas and New Year festivities.

As paramedics described accident and emergency as "chaotic" during the seasonal rush, hospital bosses say that they were not forced to divert ambulances.

But the next few days will be a testing time for the hospital as an influx of patients are usually expected.

Predictions of a major flu epidemic have already been proven wrong, but with the town in the grip of the cold weather, the hospital is expecting casualty figures to rise rapidly.

Until now, medics have not seen an increase in the number of slips, trips and falls .

A hospital spokesman said: "We will have to see how it goes over the next few days. Often, it is when people go back to work that we see a sudden rise .

"But although it has been very busy over Christmas and the New Year, with staff working extremely hard, we have not had to place ambulances on divert."