I READ with interest of the Royal Bolton Hospital's successful "bid" to retain its maternity services for the public of Bolton.

This is most welcome and justified as Bolton Hospital's excellent staff delivered the second largest number of babies in Greater Manchester for which they should be congratulated and thanked.

What I would like to hear is further assurances from the hospital management team and our MPs that there will be no further reduction in services delivered by our hospital. We have already had to suffer the closure of a 26 bed ward for the elderly, the amalgamation of 2 children's wards and the loss of 155 jobs to meet this year's financial recovery plan.

I ask for these assurances in light of the reported hospital shake-up for other Greater Manchester based hospitals. Altrincham General is ear-marked for closure, Trafford General is to be reduced in size by 25 per cent, both suggestions at this stage subject to further consultation.

The above actions are being taken after a damning Audit Commission report into Trafford Healthcare NHS Trust (a 2 star trust, Bolton being a 1 star trust) and it's financial recovery plans. All the above cuts are being proposed for a trust that reported a £3.5 million deficit for 2004-5, half of that projected for our own hospital this financial year if the current round of "efficiency savings" (predicted deficit being £7 million) are not made.

I fully appreciate the modernisation agenda and the fact that we need to look at more efficient ways of doing things, but the public of Bolton need assurances that our much valued community hospital and its staff are safe from further major cuts and loss of services.

Andy Morgan

(Councillor Hulton Ward)