THE Royal Bolton Hospital is reassuring parents that it is ready to treat children with swine flu.

It follow fears nationally that there could be shortages of beds in intensive care for youngsters with the virus.

The trust says it has been planning for a flu pandemic and coping with surges in cases, including children.

The hospital provides high dependency care, with those patients requiring intensive care being stabilised and then transferred to specialist units in Manchester or Liverpool.

If swine flu cases increase significantly, critical care beds for adults and children will be managed regionally, with hospitals working together to make sure there is cover. Busy hospitals will be supported by others.

If pressure meant that there were no paediatric beds available, the Royal Bolton Hospital could increase provision and care for children needing intensive care.

The North West has plans in place to double the number of critical care beds available and, if required, take advantage of national beds.

If they were exhausted, children would use adult beds.