THERE will be just four 'super hospitals' in Greater Manchester not five, health chiefs have ruled.

The decision means the Royal Bolton has just a one in four chance of being named as a specialist centre — as Salford, Oldham and central Manchester have already been earmarked as super hospitals.

Healthier Together, which aims to save 300 lives each year, will see patients travelling to the super centres for certain specialist treatments.

In a crunch public meeting, chiefs from the region’s 12 clinical commissioning groups (CCGs) voted unanimously to create four linked sites rather than five.

Dr Wirin Bhatiani, Chair of NHS Bolton CCG, said: “The decision is a clinical one — led by GPs representing all parts of Greater Manchester.

“We believe that four single services is the right option for our region.

“There would be no additional clinical benefit from a fifth site and it would take longer to achieve high standards for patients."

Royal Bolton, Wigan, Stockport and Wythenshawe all in the running to be the fourth super hospital.

If the Royal Bolton is chosen as the last specialist centre during a second meeting on July 15 it will carry out emergency and high-risk surgery.

But if it is not chosen it will still be improved and have an A&E department, planned surgery and full acute medical care.

Under the new four-site plan all 10 hospitals in the region will have a senior doctor in A&E for at least 12 hours a day, seven days a week; a senior doctor in every acute medical ward for 12 hours a day, seven days a week and daily clinics at every site for assessment of patients with urgent general surgery problems.

Dr Jackie Bene, chief executive of Bolton NHS Foundation Trust, said: “This is the first step in understanding the configuration of services across Greater Manchester in the future.

“We are looking forward to hearing the decision on where services will be located, but meanwhile we will continue to work with our partners and Bolton CCG to develop improved services for all.”

More than 22,000 people across the region took part in the Healthier Together consultation — 1,755 of them from Bolton.

Overall, the public showed more support for five sites — 61 per cent of household survey respondents and 75 per cent of consultation questionnaire respondents were in favour of this — but also said they would rather have care at their local hospital even if that only meant having four sites.

The four-site option, which is better value for money but does provide slightly longer travel times, will now be implemented in the next two to three years.

The plan will pool medical teams, allowing staff to share expertise between different sites and move patients between hospitals quickly.

They will also ensure surgeons at specialist hospitals can work together to carry out emergency and high-risk operations seven days per week to improve chances of survival for the 50 patients each day who come into the region’s A&E departments needing specialist surgery.