PROTESTORS have voiced their concerns over the future of Bolton's health services.

A group clad in sloganed t-shirts questioned members of the NHS Bolton Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) over its Health and Care Locality Plan.

The members of the National Pensioners Convention believe the plan, which sets out changes to health care provision in Bolton over a five year period, will discriminate against the elderly population.

Concerns were voiced by Bolton branch members at the CCG public board meeting on Friday.

Branch secretary, Christine Howarth sited proposals in the plan which states removing 9,000 admission to A&E and 5,000 emergency admission to hospital in the frail elderly, as well as discharging old people promptly.

She said: "It concerns us that in an attempt to reform health and social care services to meet the government's budget, which has a gap in funding of £162 million by 2020, the elderly have been singled out.

"It is Dr David Olive, the President of the Geriatric Society, who has called these arrangements discriminatory.

"We have just discovered that a CQC report dated September 8, 2016, on a Bolton GP Practice has rated it inadequate, we not the services for older people inarticulacy are inadequate.

"We feel this only underlines our very real concerns about health care reforms."

The plan is designed to address how the CCG and partners, including Bolton Council and Bolton NHS Foundation Trust, can face a gap of £162million between the cost of health and care and the money we have available to spend by 2020.

In order to implement the plan, the CCG has put in a bid to Greater Manchester Health and Care Transition Fund for just under £5 million over a four year period.

The board is expected to hear the outcome of the bid in the new year.

National Pensioners Convention member Karen Reissmann appealed to the board to protest the cuts rather than implement the changes.

She said: "I expect 99 percent of Bolton have no idea of the major changes to the health service. The report is difficult to read.

"I think there would be wide spread concern if people know what you are doing.

"The money lost is a ludicrous amount.

"I think you're between a rock and a hard place because of what the government are forcing you to do, you should hold up your hands and say you can't do it."

The board said it understood there were concerns and questions but the plan was only in its early stages and while consultations with specific groups had taken place more was going to be done to consult with the wider public.

Dr Wirin Bhatiani said the plans included putting money into improving care in elderly patients home and other services in order to prevent people becoming so ill they must be admitted to hospital.

Evidence had shown that elderly patients could suffer more in hospital, due to vulnerability to infections or it having a negative effect on their ability to live independently.

Dr Bhatiani added: "We all know there is a demand on health and care and it is rising at an alarming rate, and we all know the financial constraints are severe.

"We have got to be courageous, we have got to be bold, otherwise we are facing a real crisis.

"Our aim is not to stop access to hospital services or stop access to hospital care for those who need it.

"We want to keep people feeling indepedent at home for as long as possible. We will invest in a wide range of initiatives to support this objective.

"We cannot stop and do nothing, if we do that our services will suffer.

"It is a five year plan, it will not happen in the next week, there is plenty of time for engagement and time to get involved so lets be patient about it."