BOLTON’S new NHS bosses have promised to improve the town’s health at their first meeting.

The borough’s new health board, Bolton Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) has met for the first time after replacing the Primary Care Trust.

And chairman of Bolton CCG, which has overall responsibility for health in the town, Dr Wirin Bhatiani told how the new governing body would work to improve the health of Bolton.

Bolton PCT has been replaced by Bolton CCG as part of the government’s Health and Social Care Bill.

Dr Bhatiani said: “We will commission services that develop better health, provide excellent value for money and excellent experiences for Bolton people.

“We want to be open and honest in our meetings.”

He welcomed members of the public to the meeting saying he hoped they would continue to attend future board meetings, which are held once a month.

The new CCG’s board of directors is made up of health professionals.

It has eight GPs as well as two lay members and three senior managers.

Dr Bhatiani has been a full-time GP since 1981, and a GP trainer since 1985.

Topics discussed at the meeting included how to involve members of the public with the work of the health authority.

Ideas such as social networking sites, including Twitter and Facebook were put forward.

The closure of the Lever Chambers walk-in-centre together with the Royal Bolton Hospital’s work to meet waiting time targets in accident and emergency were also discussed.

Dr Bhatiani set out the agenda of Bolton CCG, which included ensuring people in accident and emergency are being seen in a “timely” manner; making sure people do not die prematurely in Bolton and people treated in hospital are not having to be re-admitted after being discharged.