HOSPITAL chiefs are hoping the trust will come out of “breach” with health watchdogs this year.

Health watchdog Monitor placed the trust’s finances under “red risk” in August, 2012, after a discovering weaknesses in its governance and control.

Directors of the Bolton NHS Foundation Trust have since presented a five year plan to Monitor to prove the hospital is financially viable.

In January, Monitor also carried out clinical and financial assessments at the hospital.

The results are yet to be published but trust bosses say they are confident the results will be positive.

Trust chairman David Wakefield said: “It’s fair to say they are testing our financial viability going forward. I think generally, it’s looking very good.”

Andy Morgan, who sits on the Bolton Health and Overview Scrutiny Committee, said there was no doubt the £73 million saving target would be a challenge but one the trust has to rise to.

Cllr Morgan added: “There not going to be any more money allocated to the trust over the next five years — irrespective of which party is elected — so we have no choice but better services for less money.

“The trust has improved dramatically in terms of hitting performance targets and I think we have a hospital that we can be proud of again.”