FLAGSHIP health facilities in Bolton have been praised by health minister John Hutton.

Mr Hutton, second-in-command at the Department of Health, was in town to visit a range of key projects.

He described facilities like the new eye operating theatre at the Royal Bolton Hospital and the £2.9 million Pikes Lane centre in Deane as shining examples of modernisation in the health service.

During his visit yesterday, he pledged to consider carefully appeals by local health bosses for extra funding to expand services further.

Mr Hutton told staff at the Bolton Community Health Care NHS Trust in Lever Chambers: "You are providing a fantastic service and I want to see what you are doing here happening right across the country."

The Minister of State for Health spent more than four hours in the borough to see how millions of pounds of Government cash is being used to help patients.

Members of the community trust intermediate care services and rapid response teams told Mr Hutton how they are helping people either stay at home for treatment or get back home from hospital as quickly as possible.

He was particularly impressed with the wheelchair service provided by the community trust.

Since it was set up in April 1998, it has cut waiting times for a wheelchair from 32 weeks to under two weeks.

Mr Hutton said: "This is excellent. The question I have now is if you can do it here in Bolton, why can't everyone else achieve the same around the country?"

During his visit to the Pikes Lane centre, the minister met members of the community nutrition team and received a quick lesson in healthy eating and even took a quick test on what makes a full healthy portion of fruit or vegetables.

Fifty four per cent of people who have worked with the nutritionists have now got healthier eating habits.

Patrick Wallace, community trust chief executive, said: "Lever Chambers and Pikes Lane represent the future of local services where people can easily access the services they require in a safe, modern environment.

"We are in discussions about where further primary care centres should be built."

Mr Hutton then moved on to the Royal Bolton Hospital.

The hospital's new £1 million eye theatre which will open in April is set to reduce waiting times for cataract operations to a maximum of 26 weeks.

Mr Hutton toured the existing eye unit and inspected building work on the new wing.

The minister then went on to see the improvements made to the casualty unit in a £350,000 refurbishment.

John Brunt, Bolton Hospitals NHS Trust chief executive, outlined the case for extra cash for further development plans to Mr Hutton as they walked around the hospital corridors.

Mr Brunt said: "We want to build a new children's unit to improve those services and to release space for more adult acute beds."

He told the minister that emergency admissions to the casualty unit had increased by 42 per cent during the past three years and that the plan would cost about £6 million.

Mr Hutton said: "I have seen various examples of excellent work at this hospital.

"The staff at this hospital are coping very well with a great deal of pressure.

"Local managers have made a very strong and well argued case for further development here and we will now look at these arguments very carefully."

Bolton's three MPs accompanied Mr Hutton on his visit and also listened to the appeals for extra cash.

ABOVE: Mr Hutton chats with care patient Phil Holmes while MP Ruth Kelly looks on