HOSPITAL bosses in Bolton, Salford and Wigan have committed to working together.

The Healthier Together decision means Salford Royal will be Bolton’s ‘super hospital’, as part of a linked ‘single site’ which also encompasses the Royal Bolton and Wigan as ‘local’ hospitals.

This means patients from Bolton will travel to Salford Royal for lifesaving emergency operations, and general, stomach and bowel, surgery will be performed by a team of doctors from the three hospitals.

Health chiefs say pooling doctors means patients will have 24-hour access to consultant-led emergency general surgical care, seven days a week.

Last year, health chiefs from the three trusts committed to working together independent of the Healthier Together decision and created the ‘North West Sector Alliance’.

The alliance first submitted its plans to work together in a plan submitted to Healthier Together last June.

After the decision, a spokesman said each ‘local’ hospital would continue to provide the majority of surgical care and would retain full A&E departments with extended consultant cover.

A spokesman for the alliance, which comprises Bolton, Salford and Wrightington, Wigan and Leigh NHS Foundation Trusts, said: “The three North West Sector foundation trusts have a successful history of joint working over many years.

“During the past 12 months we have been working together to look at the needs of our population and develop a joint response to the commissioners' review of health care in Greater Manchester.

“We are pleased that the commissioners have taken into account the views of the sector. We are committed to moving forward together to deliver a wide range of improvements in care quality, patient outcomes and patient experience.

“We will now start detailed discussions with local commissioners, our doctors, nurses, staff and the public, to lead the implementation of the new single services in our sector.”