ROYAL Bolton Hospital has today been forced to cancel operations to cope with a massive increase in medical emergency admissions.

Like accident and emergency units across the country, the Royal Bolton Hospital has been inundated with emergency admissions - many caused by the flu epidemic - and officials say there are no signs of the pressure abating.

Last week the hospital opened a surgical ward to cope with the large number of extra patients.

Yesterday a further two wards were opened but today the hospital was still trying to cope with large numbers of patients being taken into casualty.

Meetings are being held throughout the day to assess the situation but speaking this morning Mrs Beverley Andrew, director of operations with Bolton Hospitals NHS Trust, said:

"The decision has been taken to cancel routine, non urgent operations and we shall be looking at the situation continually.

"The signs today are that things continue to be very, very busy and whilst we regret having to cancel operations we haven't really had any alternative."

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