CHANGES to bus timetables mean passengers will no longer be able to get to Bolton's nearest "super hospital" in under 75 minutes — the target set by health chiefs when they chose four specialist sites.

The Royal Bolton was overlooked for super hospital status last month — meaning Bolton patients must travel to the Salford Royal.

But a key part of the Healthier Together proposals — and one of the reasons given for choosing Stockport as the fourth specialist site over Bolton — was that all patients and visitors in Greater Manchester should be able to reach their super hospital in 45 minutes by car or 75 minutes by public transport.

Now campaigners have launched a petition calling for better bus services in Bolton following changes to the crucial 68 bus route between Bolton and the Trafford Centre.

They claim average journeys on public transport from Bolton to Salford Royal will now take up to 90 minutes on multiple buses.

Kev Walsh, part of the Battle Against Bolton Bus Cuts group, said: “We have witnessed several changes to services across the town over the past few weeks, without any consultation taking place.

“These changes have left the elderly, disabled, young and the vulnerable out in the cold.

“First’s decision to terminate the only direct bus means no one in Bolton now has direct access to the Salford Royal super hospital.”

First buses changed the service – which previously ran between Bolton, Farnworth and the Trafford Centre but will now only run between Farnworth and the Trafford Centre – three days after the Healthier Together decision was made last month.

Mr Walsh says the average journey from Egerton to Salford Royal will take 89 minutes on three buses and from Tonge Moor will take 78 minutes on three buses.

The journey from Great Lever to Salford Royal will now take an average of 73 minutes on one bus – but also involves a 28-minute walk.

A train from Bolton to Eccles, Salford Royal’s nearest station, costs £4.30 return and takes 43 minutes, including a change at Manchester Victoria. Visitors will then have to walk approximately 15 minutes to the hospital or get the 10, 41, 67, 68, 100 or 110 bus from Eccles, which takes about 11 minutes.

Metro Taxis say a taxi from Bolton town centre to Salford Royal costs approximately £18 one way. The journey takes between 20 and 25 minutes on average.

A spokesman for First said: “There is a route change on our 68 service which will now serve customers between Farnworth and the Trafford Centre.

“Our customers can still travel between Bolton and Farnworth using our 22 or 501 services, and can still travel between Bolton and Harper Green using our 36 service.

"We are reviewing feedback received following our recent service changes in the Bolton area. We will also consider the implications of the Healthier Together changes announced recently, across all of our Bus Network in the Greater Manchester area."

The Healthier Together decision means the Royal Bolton Hospital will become part of a linked single site with Salford Royal — the borough’s nearest specialist ‘super hospital’.

Under the plans, an average of three Bolton patients a day will travel to Salford to have high-risk emergency operations and stomach and bowel surgery.

The changes will be introduced in the next three years.

Members of the Committees in Common (CiC) – CCG chiefs from across Greater Manchester who made the decision on the Healthier Together changes — said schemes will be introduced to alleviate travel difficulties for patients and visitors.

These will include priority parking, volunteer driver schemes, community transport, travel vouchers, reimbursement and set-tariff policies for taxis, appointment time choices and flexible visiting times.

Dr Wirin Bhatiani, Chair of NHS Bolton Clinical Commissioning Group and CiC member, said: “As part of the next phase of Healthier Together, a number of implementation conditions have been put in place to make sure transport planning is considered as each of the single services is introduced

“We have also been working with key representatives of patient and equality groups to fully understand the impact of the changes and work with them on a plan to mitigate any impacts.

“The introduction of the single services will be a staged process over the next three years and we will be working with commissioners and providers to make sure the transition is as smooth as possible for patients.”

To view the petition: go to chn.ge/1DBkJvF