PATIENTS, parents and staff have celebrated the official opening of the Royal Bolton Hospital’s new children’s ward.

The unit is part of the £20 million Making It Better scheme, which is reorganising services for women, children and babies across Greater Manchester.

Yesterday, Farnworthborn comedian Paddy McGuinness opened the new unit, which boasts 17 private en-suite rooms, bedside lockers, new furniture, artwork and a state-of-theart nurse call system.

Julie Bloor, director for Greater Manchester’s children, young people and families NHS network, said: “It’s one of eight children’s units in Greater Manchester and one of the biggest units.

“It has neo-natal services alongside level three neonatal services, of which there are only three in Greater Manchester.

“Making It Better has been ongoing for five years.

Some of us have been involved with it for a lot longer and we’re on schedule to finish at the end of 2012.”

The new children’s unit is divided into three areas: the orange section has an assessment and observation unit, high dependency unit, waiting room and playroom; the green unit includes nine single rooms; and the blue area is for teenagers, with six single rooms and a four-bed bay, multi-sensory room and a lounge.

Paddy, star of ITV1’s Take Me Out, recalled being in the hospital’s old children’s ward as a youngster after being shot in the knee with a pellet gun.

He said: “As a child it can be very daunting going into hospital, but I’ve just been in to see the kids and they’re really chilled out.

“It’s come full circle from when I was here. There were a lot more adults around then and I’d have felt more relaxed if I’d have been around other kids.

“When I was in hospital I was terrified, but these kids are just taking it all in their stride.”

Lexi Dallimora, aged 21 months, was staying in the unit after suffering a seizure and low blood sugar levels.

Mum Rachael, aged 24, said: “The new unit is miles better. There’s more room and Lexi has been wandering up and down all morning.

There’s a big play room. It’s just fresher and a lot nicer.

“We have our own private room with a bed, so I can stay with her which is really important to me.”

The new unit was built by AFL architects on a site formally used to store health records.