HEALTH chiefs are to ask the Government for an extra £30 million to modernise the Royal Bolton Hospital.

The cash is the minimum Royal Bolton will need if it is to cope with the increasing volume of patients visiting its accident and emergency (A&E) unit and being admitted to hospital.

Directors at the Bolton NHS Foundation Trust, which runs the hospital, say the £30 million will still be needed even if the Healthier Together review does not go ahead.

The Royal Bolton Hospital could become one of five "super" hospitals across Greater Manchester under the Healthier Together proposals.

If Bolton is granted the status, the trust could need a further cash injection between £20 and £50 million in the next five years.

The figures were revealed by the trust's chairman, David Wakefield, at its annual general meeting on Thursday.

Mr Wakefield said: "It's a massive investment we will need. The £30 million is stage one if we are to improve our estate and IT systems.

"It's a huge sum we will need with or without Healthier Together.

"If we are going to do the things we say we're going to, we will need even more money - between £20 million and £50 million.

"It's going to be tough but I think we can do it."

The trust is hoping to come out of financial breach with Government watchdog Monitor next month.

In the past two years, the trust has managed to reduce the debt from £14.4 million in 2012/13 to £5.6million in 2013/14.

Finance chiefs are hoping the trust will finish with a surplus on £1.6 million by April and £3.1 million in 2015/16.

Mr Wakefield said this would herald a "massive improvement".

He added: "The trust will be financially from independent from next April.

"All being well we won't require a penny from the Department of Health next year, which is fantastic achievement for the trust."

The trust is currently working on an alternative model with trusts in Salford and Wigan to present to Healthier Together chiefs in February.

The three trusts- dubbed the North West Sector Alliance - are working on a plan which will combine A&E services and pool teams of consultants.

A decision on Healthier Together may not be made public until after the General Election next May.

Jackie Bene, chief executive of the Bolton NHS Foundation Trust, said: "We are going to offer the commissioners at Healthier Together a different way of working with our neighbours."

The Healthier Together consultation attracted just 1,500 responses from residents in Bolton.