A BID to ‘build a new hospital for Bolton’ is set to be submitted next month as part of a £500m plan to replace Victorian buildings.

Proposals for a new building for maternity, neonatal, gynaecology and breast services, costing £250m, will be sent to government soon.

Fiona Noden, chief executive of Bolton NHS Foundation Trust told a Bolton Council meeting a second bid, for a similar amount was also being prepared to ‘redevelop the rest of the hospital’.

Many of the current buildings there date back to 1861 when a workhouse and other hospital settings were created.

Ms Noden told the borough's health and adult social care scrutiny committee: "The bid is due to be submitted in September.

“The initial ask is for £250m to redevelop the maternity unit and neo-natal unit and women’s health services.

“We are a regional neo-natal unit and we are the birth centre for Bolton, Salford, Wigan and Bury.

“Secondary to that there is another bid we are working on which is to redevelop the rest of the organisation.

“This will be for another £250m to develop the Royal Bolton site into a fit-for-purpose organisation to be able to deliver 21st century healthcare. We’ve had lots of interest in it.

“I’ve done everything I possibly can to ensure that we are on the map around what is required in Bolton.

“We are doing everything to get money invested in Bolton.

“We need to make sure our patients are comfortable when in hospital or accessing treatment.

“I’m on a mission to get a new hospital built for Bolton.”