MORE than 3,000 hospital staff are waiting to find out if they will be greeting the Millennium in style . . . or staffing the wards of the Royal Bolton Hospital.

By the end of this month hospital bosses expect to have an idea of their staffing requirements over the New Year period and will be taking decisions on how much leave staff will be able to take over the holiday.

At present Bolton Hospitals Trust managers have decided not to approve applications for annual leave between December 18 and January 13.

"We are very confident, however, that this period will be considerably shortened once details of our staffing requirements are known," said Eddie McGurk, Head of Human Resources.

Mrs Barbara Peacock, Chairman of the Trust, said she felt the issue of leave over the holiday period would be a matter of great worry for staff and pointed out many have to plan the holidays.

"There are many who have responsibilities to people beyond here," she said.

Mr McGurk went on to tell the meeting he believed there would be a national agreement announced on the issue of staff pay over this period and understood it would be published in the next three to four weeks.

Vic Peel, a non executive director of the Trust, said: "Attentions are now starting to turn away from the checks on equipment, as we started these very early in this Trust, and instead we have to start looking at the anticipated volume of work which will come in as a result of the celebrations.

"These, coupled with the winter pressures, such as those we have just seen in December and January, means a great deal of work has to go on."

Mr McGurk told the meeting that contingency plans for all wards and departments were being drawn up and Mrs Beverley Andrew, Director of Operations, said: "We are working closely with the Community Trust, the police and the ambulance service and in a couple of months we should be bringing a plan to the board."

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